BY CALEB AYANSINA

ABUJA – Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple, yesterday, expressed confidence that with the government efforts to ensure affordable housing in the country, Nigerians should expect a housing revolution by 2012.

The minister who disclosed this at the first meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban  Development in Abuja, said low income earners, including civil servants, could afford to own a house at that time.

She said: “What I intend doing is to make them form cooperatives, through this cooperatives they will be easily identified and can buy the houses with ease. That way too, they can access bank mortgages facilities to get loans easily to buy these houses.”

Pepple, however, said it was disappointing that with all the effort the government is putting into housing, the cost was still high, adding that the ministry is working in conjunction with other stakeholders in the sector to find alternative technology that would address the high cost associated with building materials as well as partnership with the state to make land readily available for housing needs.

Her words: “Look out for housing revolution by 2012. Llow income earners can afford to own a house at that time, prices of houses will range from N1.5 million, for one bedroom flat, N2.5 million for a two bedroom flat and N3 million for a three bedroom flat.

“Presently we are partnering with state government to  give us land for this project. For every housing estate  built, there will be water, and light, with this in place  housing revolution has started.    “We would look at the mortgage policy so people can have  access to mortgage, everywhere you go you see government  building houses, yet they are not enough because of lack of  proper planning.

“We would put in place the necessary enabling policies to  direct our actions and strategic intervention in the housing  and urban development sector in order to accomplish the  envisaged goals of vision 20:2020.