World Habitat Day: Minister Reels Out Score Cards of NHP, Seeks Collaboration of Stakeholders

• Says, NHP produced new homeowners, created jobs.
• Urges State Govts to replicate FG’s Rent-to-Own acquisition/Sale Model

 

Nigeria today joined the rest of the world to mark the 2022 World Habitat Day With The Theme, “Mind the Gap. Leave No One and Place Behind,” in Abuja.

The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, SAN in his presentation at the event held at the NAF Conference Centre, Kado, in Abuja said that there is a striking similarity between the theme of this year’s event for the commemoration of the World Habitat Day, “Mind the Gap. Leave No One and Place Behind,” and that of the recently held 11th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, “Housing Our People, by All of Government and All Our People.”

Fashola stated that at the latter event, he reported progress on the National Housing Programme (NHP) and other Housing initiatives of the Federal Government while also seeking the collaboration of all stakeholders since housing provision is essentially a collaborative effort by all levels of government and the private sector.

He stated further that both tasks are germane to the goals of the World Habitat Day’s theme this year and would do a rapid overview of the progress report first.

The minister said “With affordability and accessibility as prime considerations, the National Housing Programme that was initiated by the Ministry of Works and Housing at the onset of the Muhammadu Buhari led administration, was preceded by collaborative thoughts and actions to evolve nationally acceptable designs that respond to and accommodate our country’s diversity in terms of climatic conditions and cultural leanings.

“The Programme is now delivering on its objective. Apart from stimulating the economies of the 35 states and the FCT in the communities where work is being undertaken for the construction of houses, by providing work for artisans, builders, engineers, and other skilled persons in the built industry, the construction sites have been and remain centres of supply for building materials and other commodities.

“It is promoting inclusivity and leaving no one behind because many people who hitherto were unemployed have had their dignity restored as they could leave home every day for gainful employment.

“With the Programme now in a season of completion, many of the houses have been completed and are now being handed over to the beneficiaries who follow the allocation procedure set out in the National Housing Programme web portal (nhp.worksandhousing.gov.ng).

The National Housing Programme, he said, has therefore produced new homeowners but in the process also produced citizens who found economic fulfilment as contractors, suppliers of various construction items and artisans.

Speaking on FMBN: Financing Home Ownership, Rent to Own and Home Renovation, he highlighted that agencies of the Ministry such as the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) are also contributing to the provision of Housing in diverse ways towards closing gaps while leaving no one and place behind.

“FMBN’s policies such as the reduction of equity contribution from 5% to 0% for those seeking mortgage loans of up to N5 million, and reduction from 15% to 10% for those seeking loans over N5million are helping to ease access to housing just as its operational performance up to the second Quarter of this year shows”, he said.

Speaking on Federal Housing Authority: Building Nationwide for All Cadres, Fashola pointed out that “the Federal Housing Authority has a total of 2,382 housing units under construction from January 2022 till date. Out of this number, a total of 1,462 housing units have so far been delivered in 7 sites across the nation. In the course of providing these houses, and the construction process associated with it, jobs in the construction value chain translating into 46,420 number employment for Nigerians were created.”

In order to bridge the poverty and inequality gaps through the Implementation of Ministerial Mandates, he said, Urban Renewal and Slum upgrading programme have been used by the Ministry to actively collaborate with the Private Sector to create 4,435 direct well-paying jobs for Nigerian Youths through the implementation of 33 Projects in several Nigerian cities from January, 2021 to June, 2022.

According to the minister, these capital projects include: Construction/Rehabilitation of Roads, Culverts and Drains; Provision of Potable Water through Local Borehole Supply Systems; Provision of Solar Powered Street-lights; and Provision of Storm-water Drainage Channels.

Fashola affirmed that the Ministry is also collaborating with UN-Habitat in implementing the Participatory Slum Upgrading Program (PSUP) as a practical strategy to tackle the slum and housing challenges.

“Our goal is to create smart and sustainable cities. This initiative has been adopted by the UN agency as a sustainable way of addressing the salient issues and challenges of homelessness, housing crises and slum situations in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

“At the instance of the International Agency, three cities namely; Karu, Nasarawa State, Ifako Ijaye, Lagos State, and Onitsha, Anambra State have been profiled. Also, some states namely Katsina, Yobe, Rivers, Osun, Ondo, Kogi have adopted the PSUP programme and successfully profiled some of their cities. Nigeria is at phase two of the programme which involves implementation of prioritized projects to alleviate slum and housing conditions in the profiled settlements”, he added.

Fashola harped on the need for housing provision being a collaborative effort by all levels of government and the private sector.

He delightly acknowledged the visible increase in the participation of the private sector in Nigeria’s housing sector, but noted that it is important to draw attention to the work that needs to be done at the State level to ensure that those who wish to build by themselves and only seek access to land benefit from reforms in the process that governs allocation of land and issuance of title documents such as Certificates of Occupancy.

The other important matter, the minister said, which is also within the remit of State authorities, is the issue of rent.

“If at the Federal Government level, a Rent-to-Own acquisition/sale model for the disposal of the Houses in the National Housing Programme has been introduced, state authorities, especially parliamentarians, should devote thoughts and action to how the payment of rent can be easier and comfortable for both tenants and landlords.

“ Any legislative intervention that ensures that working class people can pay their rent when they receive their salaries will not only greatly impact the economy positively but go a long way in ensuring that we mind the gap while leaving no one and no place behind”. Fashola concluded.