By Jude Njoku

The Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development last week, flaunted the housing scorecard of the Jonathan administration, saying the government increased the nation’s housing stock with 61,000 affordable housing units in the last four years.

The Ministry said it is determined to reduce the nation’s housing deficit by direct funding through two of its agencies, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN and the Federal Housing Authority, FHA.

Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi who made the disclosures at an interactive forum, explained that additional 100,000 units are currently under construction for workers in the country. The Minister listed some milestones achieved by the Ministry to include:

• Preparation of a National Physical development plan for Nigeria
• Initiating the National Housing Survey and doing an inventory and auditing of all Federal lands and landed properties
• Inauguration of Festac Phase 2 project
• Reorganising and reinvigorating the boards of FHA and FMBN and the launch of the National Housing roadmap.
• Other milestones recorded by the Ministry, according to Mrs Eyakenyi are: the launch of Nigerian Mortgage Refinancing Company, NMRC and offer of 23, 000 new mortgages and 10,000 new housing units for Nigerians, expansion and increase of the National Housing Funds collection and a memorandum of understanding, MoU with Messrs Signature Group of United Arab Emirates, UAE for $80million Abuja Housing project.
• Answering a question on the affordability of the houses being built, the Minister explained that the government is subsidising the cost of the land.
• She disclosed that the revised National Building Code approved by the Ministry, will help stem the rising occurrence of building collapse in the country. The code, she said, will ensure that the right professionals who will not cut corners, are used in building construction sites.