By Jude Njoku

The Federal Government plans to deliver a minimum of 100,000 housing units under the Nationwide Workers’ Housing Scheme which was flagged off last week by President Goodluck Jonathan at Apo Tafiya in the Asokoro area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

The President explained that the launch of 10,000 units comprising different house types was part of his administration’s programme to provide affordable housing to Nigerian workers. The 36 states of the federation are expected to benefit from the scheme.

The President commended the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC and its sister body, the Trade Union Congress, TUC for partnering with his government in the provision of shelter for Nigerian workers. He enjoined workers to buy into the scheme to alleviate their housing challenges.

President Jonathan also lauded the developer, Messrs Good Homes Development Company Limited for partnering with the government and pledged to collaborate with private developers in the country to provide affordable housing and bring down the cost of housing in the country.

Improvements in housing sector

Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi explained that through various interventions, her Ministry in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN and the Federal Housing Authority,FHA, has between July 2010 to date, added a total of 43, 125 houses to the national housing stock.

“ A significant number of the beneficiaries of these new housing units are workers across the country given the focus of the housing scheme of the Ministry on affordability and quality delivery, with particular attention to low-income and middle income earners in both the formal and informal sectors of the national economy,” she said.

“Other improvements we have witnessed in the housing sector under the present administration include creating an enabling environment for private sector-led participation in mass housing delivery, implementation of innovative people-centred policies and programmes aimed at reducing the housing deficit, promoting access to home ownership, reducing the affordability gap, reducing housing construction costs and ensuring better living conditions with improved access to social amenities,” Mrs Eyakenyi said.

The Minister described the nationwide workers scheme as a testimony of the President’s sustained, painstaking and incremental actions to improve the welfare of Nigerians.

“We will not rest on our oars until we significantly reduce the housing deficit in the country, and ensure that all Nigerians are properly housed in properly functioning communities, with access to essential infrastructure and services. It is in this regard that in early January 2015, Mr. President will be performing another official ground breaking ceremony of the first batch of 10,000 affordable homes to be provided under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) housing delivery scheme of the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, with the support of the Federal Ministry of Finance and other key stakeholders,” she said.

Strengthen FMBN

The Minister who noted that the funding for the project was provided by the FMBN, called for more funding of the apex mortgage bank. “This underscores the effectiveness of the National Housing Fund, NHF scheme as a veritable source of long-term financing mechanism for affordable home ownership.