UK house price growth slowed in June to the lowest annual rate in five years, driven by falling prices in London, according to official figures.

Growing sophistication and advancement in construction and engineering have given rise to innovations and new techniques in the construction industry, as post-tensioning, which is a technique for reinforcing concrete, reducing the occurrence of shrinkage and cracking by strengthening concrete with high-strength steel strands or bars called tendons, has been innovated to reinforce concrete in construction.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,which regulates and supervises the operations of mortgage banks in Nigeria has renewed efforts at building public confidence as well as engendering soundness and stability in the mortgage banking sub-sector of the nation by setting up an Alternative Dispute Resolution ADR, platform/financial Ombudsman for the mortgage banking sector which will be resting on a sub-committee on ethics and professionalism. 

The Federal Government, through ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Mechanism in Nigeria, ECOEWRM, has unveiled plans to set up a technical committee on the vulnerability assessment of flood mitigation across the states of the federation.

Mr. Abiodun Tobun is a member representing Epe Constituency 1 in Lagos State House of Assembly. In this interview, he speaks on the Apapa gridlock and what the state government is doing to curb incessant traffic gridlock in Lagos among other sundry issues as captured by Ebun Sessou. Excerpt:

The Chairman, Ogun State Council of National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers NUCECFWW, Midian Nanle has urged the federal government to create an organised furniture market to boost the manufacturing sector in Nigeria.

The recent launch of the rent-to-own housing scheme with the approval of the board of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria FMBN,  is specifically to make housing more affordable for Nigerian workers who, ordinarily, cannot build or buy homes from their meagre income.

A recently conducted research into short-let apartments in the commercial real estate space of property market in Lagos indicates that the need for short-let apartments has maintained an upward trend in spite of the current challenging economic situation in the country.

Come this Sunday,  August 19, 2018, the book “40 YEARS OF HOUSING DISCOURSE” will be launched at the Island Club, Onikan, Lagos. The book is a compilation of some articles of Asiwaju Kola Akomolede, a renowned estate surveyor and valuer, which have been published by different National Newspapers over the past forty years.

To boost housing stock in Lagos, Dayola Property & Development Company, a Lagos-based renowned real estate development firm, has introduced two prime property known as Beaufort Park and Heirs Park Residences into Lagos property market.

Following a comprehensive review of the Lagos rail project which ought to have commenced passenger operation but was hindered by unforeseen third party issues and other challenges, the Lagos State Government has said that the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, LRMT, Blue Line Rail project from Marina to Mile 2 section would be ready for passenger operation by 2022.

The General Manager of West African Ceramics Ltd, foremost manufacturer of the ROYAL brand of tiles, grouts and tile adhesives, Mr. Bhaskar Rao, has stated that the idea behind opening of ultra modern showrooms across the country known as Royal Exclusive Showroom stocked with the company’s range of products is basically to support affordable housing in Nigeria. Rao disclosed this at the inauguration of two additional ultra modern exclusive tile showrooms to the network of Royal Exclusive Showrooms in Aba and PortHarCourt recently.

The Lagos State Building Control Agency LASBCA, weekend demolished a nine-storey building at Osapa London in Lekki area of Lagos for allegedly contravening building plan regulations.

With flood threats and resurgence of heaps of refuse across Lagos metropolis which has created an eyesore to passers-by and posing health hazard to residents, the state government weekend announced measures to tackle the menace.

Against the backdrop of the widening housing gap in the country, new partnerships and initiatives supported by the federal and state governments to address the housing shortfall  which is a daunting challenge, are being put in place, thereby raising the hope that governments can actually help provide the over 17 million new homes needed across the country in the next 15 years.