FG to Build 34,000 Houses Nationwide
By Philip Ichaba
The Federal government is to build thirty four thousand houses nationwide under the first phase of the Renewed Hope Cities Project.
Ahmed Dangiwa, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, who made this known in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the Taraba State governor, said the project aims to create more than 240,000 jobs.
To bring the project to fruition, the ministry had already requested about 50 hectares of land from each state of the federation, the minister said.
According to Alaji Dangiwa, the federal government needs to build more than 550,000 houses at the cost of N4.4 trillion annually in the next 10 years to address the nation’s housing deficit.
He noted with satisfaction that the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Housing Authority were already undergoing reforms to ensure they function optimally.
He appealed for the support of state governors and other stakeholders to review the Land Use Act of 1978 in order to simplify land administration in the country.
Dr Agbu Kefas, the Taraba State Governor, pledged to work closely with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to make houses available and affordable to the people of Taraba.
Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who highlighted the need to address the housing deficit, called for a collective effort by stakeholders in the housing sector to fix the problem.
It’s on record that The House of Representatives recently pledged to review the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme Act of 1992 in line with current economic realities in the country.
