FG urged to tackle existential problems to deliver 300,000 houses per annum

The quest for the Federal Government of Nigeria projection to deliver 300,000 housing units per annum will remain a wishful thinking except it resolves some existential problems at the core of the sector.

This position was made known by the Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN) in a statement signed by Festus Adebayo, stressing that there is the need to stop paying lips service to housing development because private sector stakeholders and reliable investors will only participate in government projects when they can perceive real ambition and the political will to match action with words.

The statement noted that due to many years of policy summersault, Nigeria has to speed up current interventions as well as introduce more if the housing deficit must be reduced drastically.

The group advises the government in the statement on certain strategies that can make it possible to deliver at least 300,000 homes every year, to first get the private sector to be involved in decisions for which their resources, time, finance and goodwill will be expended.

“There must be due consultation and every party must be clear about what their unique responsibilities are.

“They must also work on removing the bottlenecks in the transaction dynamics by getting the land administrators (36 States and FCT), to ensure Ease of Approvals, Title Registrations etc. Especially the adoption and domestication of the Model Mortgage and Foreclosure Law in their Sates and FCT.

“There should be a recapitalization of FMBN to enable mortgages to be created, and in so doing refinance Family Homes Funds and other Developers including Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMW&H) whose funds are massively tied up in Estates across the Country.”

The group also urged the government to begin a process of working with professional bodies and organizations including NGOs to ensure a high level of professionalism and diligence in their operations and processes.

According to the group, the inability to work with professionals, as against political contractors has been a real threat to housing development in Nigeria.

 

The government should restructure the National Housing delivery Architecture, according to HDAN, by ensuring that roles and responsibilities are assigned, and adhered to by stakeholders.

 

They harped on the roles of state government through its Housing Corporations, which cannot be neglected and for government to forestall federal ministry of works and housing direct housing construction by restructuring the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) to deliver rent to own houses across the country for the masses.

HDAN also called on the government to commence massive artisanal training program that will ensure availability of skilled workers for the construction of the houses.

 

Again the group said government should incentivize the use of local building materials, as well as the creation of backward linkages between building materials manufacturing and construction.

 

Another significant recommendation is that of data development, HDAN said, adding that data collation and management program needs to be enhanced across board.

 

The group lamented that Nigeria is still grasping with the challenge of unreliable data because most projections are only done in the dark and without proper insight.

 

HDAN also emphasized on the importance of advocacy and creative education for off-takers to start being realistic in their expectations, while the Family Homes Fund saddled with affordable housing development should be empowered with additional funding and support.

The Family Homes Funds should be a face of the Federal Government’s intervention, they said, following its mandate to deliver over 500,000 homes on its own, coupled with what it has achieved so far, extensive experience with states and almost all public and private sector stakeholders in the building and construction industry.

It declared that it is important that the Fund is not only empowered but given a pivotal role to play in this annual delivery of 300,000 homes.

 

They pointed out that the IFC and AfDB need to be encouraged more to support the industrialisation of the built sector.

 

HDAN opined that there are tested large scale methodologies that can be domesticated instead of importing materials that are not beneficial or that can be locally produced.

 

HDAN also counselled that all housing units must and can never be for owner occupiers, adding that those who cannot own should be able to occupy affordable rental housing without being subjected to advance rent payment.

 

The statement appealed that REDAN as the organized group of both public and private sector developers should be encouraged and the Bill for its registration passed.

They urged the government to replicate what Lagos state is doing in the area of regulating the real estate sector such as issues of standard, affordability, seamless administration, for the fight against quacks and real estate fraudsters.