Ministry, housing corporations partner on delivering decent, affordable homes to Nigerians

*The Federal Ministry of Housing partners with the Urban Development and Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria on the delivery of affordable housing under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Housing Programme, as part of efforts at eradicating homelessness in the country

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

In a collective effort at eradicating homelessness while providing decent and affordable housing for Nigerian consumers, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN) have partnered on the delivery of affordable housing under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Housing Programme.

The Ministry and AHCN struck the understanding when Esv. Eno Obongha, President and Chairman of Council of the Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN), led a delegation of members of the AHCN on a courtesy visit to Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, Honourable Minister for Housing and Urban Development, in Abuja, FCT.

ConsumerConnect reports the Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria is an umbrella organisation for all federal and state housing agencies, housing research institutes, mortgage establishments and private property developers.

AHCN members include; the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and Nigerian Building & Road Research Institute (NBRRI), etc. with all the 36 states Housing Agencies as members.

Salisu Badamasi Haiba, Director of Information and Public Relations of the Ministry, at the weekend, also stated Minister Arc. Dangiwa told the Association that the Renewed Hope Housing Programme was initiated to boost the stock of affordable housing in Nigeria.

According to him, the Ministry will ensure completion of all, and there will be no abandoned houses under the programme.

On use of quality local building materials for housing projects

The Minister assured on the use of quality local building materials and/or products to deliver the houses that will be acceptable to Nigerians and to boost the local economy.

Arc. Dangiwa also said despite the fact that the objective of the Renewed Hope Housing Programme was to provide affordable and accessible houses for all Nigerians, the Ministry would not allow the use of sub-standard building materials.

He emphasised that high-quality building materials would be used to deliver the houses to Nigerian consumers.

Dangiwa expressed satisfaction with the Agric -Villages Scheme initiative of the Association, designed to acquire farm lands in rural areas in all states, using agriculture to drive housing provisions, thereby creating job opportunities for jobless youths.

The Minister also assured the industry stakeholders that the Agric -villages scheme would be incorporated into the National Social Housing Fund initiative, which the Ministry is also working to implement in order to provide access to affordable housing to low and none income Nigerians.

Land acquisitions in each Senatorial District for mass housing ─AHCN Chief

Earlier in his remarks during the visit, Esv. Eno Obongha, President and Chairman of Council of AHCN, had told the Minister that Association desires to participate in the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda by providing about 15 hectares of land in each of the senatorial district for the development of housing in furtherance of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.

The Association also urged the State Housing Corporations to obtain Housing Development Funds through the mortgages, and seek inclusion in executing housing projects under the Renewed Hope Housing Programme.

Surveyor Eno urged the Housing and Urban Development Minister to ensure at least 20 percent of the building materials used in the Renewed Hope Agenda Projects are locally sourced.