By Yinka  Kolawole
President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Mr. Agele Alufohai, has called on all stakeholders in the nation’s housing sector to find means of providing mortgages that will enable one million Nigerians acquire their own houses every year at an interest rate not more than 10 per cent and tenure of not less than 15 years.

Alufohai made the call in a goodwill message at the 42nd annual conference of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) held in Abuja recently. According to him, “the skills to make this happen exist in our financial sector and in international development agencies if the government is serious, sincere and focused. We should look at how countries like Singapore and Malaysia have used realistic inducements to the market massively to expand house ownership.”

The NIQS president also seized the occasion to call on members of the National Assembly to to set up a probe panel to investigate reasons behind the delay in repealing the Land Use Act from the country’s statute books. He asserted that the federal government should promote policies that would positively impact housing, change the Land Use Act and transform the system to government-subsidised mortgages.

“We cannot transform this country while we maintain policies that hold us back. I would recommend for the National Assembly to hold a probe on why the Land Use Act has not been repealed despite agreement that it is a barrier to investments in key sectors such as housing and agriculture. A new National Housing Policy that promotes many of the required reforms is before the National Assembly; it should be debated, amended as appropriate and passed with a sense of urgency,” he declared.

Alufohai noted that formulation of policies aimed at transforming the built environment is one of the best ways to ensure that the wealth from oil enabled millions of Nigerians to participate in meaningful economic activities.

He noted that the built environment is not just about the houses we live in. “It refers to how we plan the neighbourhoods and cities where we live, work and play. It also encompasses supporting infrastructure such as water supply and energy networks. I have not found a greater expression of civilisation or progress in governance than the quality of the built environment,” he explained.

The NIQS boss urged government to concession key infrastructure to the private sector to meet the challenge of development. “We need to urge our government to urgently pursue policies that work. Concessions and other forms of Public-Private Partnership are key instruments for rapid and sustainable increase in the stock of modern infrastructure in Nigeria” he said.