BY Emma Una

CALABAR—MINISTER of Lands and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakanyi, has said that limited  access to  unencumbered land and finance  for people to build houses were the cause of 17 percent  housing deficit in the country.

Mrs. Eyakanyi, yesterday in Calabar, Cross River State, at the groundbreaking ceremony of Brick Estate, the constituency project of Mrs. Nkoyo Toyo at Esuk Odot, said that housing was a social responsibility of government, but that the  stumbling block has been the lack of land and  adequate finance.

She said: “Government is encouraging corporate organisations to partner it towards providing affordable and decent housing for the teeming population and this is achievable, but the major challenge has been lack of access to unencumbered land and finance to build the houses.”

She noted that President Goodluck Jonathan in his transformation agenda has the provision of shelter to the people as top priority.
“Nigerians and future generations deserve good accommodation and it is the responsibility of government and that is precisely what this government is focusing on with the ongoing construction of 10,000 housing units across the states of the federation.”