John Alechenu

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Dangiwa, has reiterated the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to key reforms in the housing sector to meet the housing needs of Nigerians.
Dangiwa said the Housing Ministry under his watch is exploring creative solutions and will also implement necessary reforms to rewrite the story of housing and urban development in Nigeria.

The Minister said this while delivering a keynote address on the 4th day of the 12th meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, held in Kaduna State.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Information of the Ministry, Salisu Haiba Badamasi, in Abuja, on Thursday.

Dangiwa said, ” As part of endeavours to provide the right leadership as the focal driver of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bold vision of making housing a top priority for his government, giving its unique potential to catalyze economic growth, create jobs and lift millions out of poverty, the Ministry’s goal is to implement the most historic housing and urban sector reforms ever witnessed in the Country, by driving initiatives that will create enabling environments for easier, safer, and profitable private sector investments in the sectors.”

The Minister explained that Housing as one of the critical sectors set aside for focus under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is tied to four key presidential priorities which are: Economic growth and Job creation, Access to capital, social inclusion or Inclusivity and Ending poverty.

According to him, the four presidential priorities of Government underline the priorities of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development over the next four years, through a Reform of Federal Housing Institutions like the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Family Home Funds (FHF) and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), to enhance efficiency and capacity; Establishment of a National Social Housing Fund to cater to the housing needs of the no income, homeless and vulnerable groups; Review of the Land Use Act (1978) to streamline access to land; Establishment of a robust Mortgage Registry to facilitate property transactions and increased home ownership; Increasing housing supply, amongst others.

In his opening address, the guest of honour, the executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani represented by the Honourable Commissioner of the Kaduna State Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Hon. Aminu Abdullahi Shagali, said the Kaduna State Government in its effort to increase the housing stock came up with a direct Construction of 624 affordable housing units of 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom houses in four locations of the State, the Construction of a total of 222 houses of 1, 2, 3, 4 bedrooms terraces as well duplexes, directly and through partnership.