The Federal Government on Thursday
announced that it had commenced the construction of mass housing
projects in 33 states across the country...
It also called for an upward review of
up to 50 per cent as mobilization funds for contractors, especially
emerging contractors operating in the built environment, in order to
enable them to deliver their projects satisfactorily.
The Minister of Power, Works and
Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who disclosed this at the sixth meeting of
the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, told
delegates at the event that with ongoing housing projects, the
government had fulfilled the commitment it made at the 2016 council
meeting by 90 per cent.
Commenting on the progress report on the
National Housing Programme, which was discussed at last year’s meeting,
Fashola said, “At the time of the council meeting in August 2016, I
reported that we were finalizing designs to accommodate our cultural,
climatic and other diversities.
“I had explained that when the designs
were completed, we would commence construction to pilot the designs and
test them for affordability and acceptability. I am pleased to report
that construction has started in 33 states where land has been made
available.”
He added, “This is in fulfillment of another commitment made at last year’s council by at least 90 per cent.”
Fashola also stated that stakeholders
had resolved to facilitate the use of exchange of letters for the
transfer of title to land when states were transferring land to the
Federal Government.
He said, “I am happy to report that
there has been very inspiring compliance based on the several letters of
exchange that I have received and which I have duly signed.
“All I need say about this in terms of
compliance is that if there are still states yet to comply, they should
please do so very quickly.”
The minister said he had personally
visited project sites in Taraba, Gombe, Ekiti, Oyo states, adding that
“what I saw demonstrates to me very clearly how impactful the National
Housing Programme has been, even at the pilot and inception stage.”
On the size of Nigeria’s housing
deficit, Fashola said every nation was faced with similar situation, and
noted that the size of the population determines the growth rate, the urbanization rate, and the size of the deficit.
He stated that aside from artisans
involved in the mass housing construction project, 653 contractors were
engaged in the pilot scheme to deliver 2,736 units.
“A total of 54,680 people were employed in the process,” he added.
No comments: