By Kingsley Adegboye

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Amal Pepple has stated her passion to propel the ministry towards the provision of social housing for Nigerians.

The Minister who inaugurated the Committee on Private Public Partnership last week in Abuja, said that she would focus on the provision of social housing during her tenure as the housing minister.

“We must begin to focus on the provision of those houses which the ordinary Nigerian can afford because most of the houses being put up for sale are beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians. I have a passion to address the housing needs of this category of Nigerians”, Pepple said.

The committee which is made up of major players in the housing sector is expected to drive the ministry’s partnership initiative with the private sector.

The PPP initiative is designed to facilitate a more focused and result oriented participation of the private sector and real estate developers and investors in the delivery of housing to Nigerians.

The Minister who noted that the PPP initiative is in line with the shift in government policy from direct building of houses to creating an enabling environment for private sector participation in housing delivery, explained that the demand for basic infrastructure has grown globally over the years.

“We have an estimated 16 million housing deficit. The present administration is poised to reduce this deficit by partnering with stakeholders locally and internationally”, she said.

Ms Pepple charged the committee to address the issue of cost of building materials which is hampering the development of the housing sector. According to her, the time has come for the development of technologies that would lead to the use of cheaper and affordable materials in the housing sector.

The Committee which is headed by Prince Seyi Lufadeju of the Real Estate Development Association, REDAN, is charged with the provision of legal and regulatory environment that will promote private investment in housing.

The Committee is to look into how to utilise private partnership opportunities to contribute to housing production, expand site and service programme as well as implement a unified and an integrated infrastructure development plan for housing.

Others terms of its reference include to work with financial sector operators and regulators to develop an effective primary housing system and facilitate linkage to the capital market; provide long term affordable and sustainable funding for housing and to develop professional and skilled man power to support the housing sector.

Prince Lufadeju promised that the committee will do its best to assist the ministry to achieve its mandate. He noted that the issue of mortgage financing is a major obstacle which stands in the way of Nigerians acquiring their own houses.