The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola,
yesterday said that the construction of mass housing projects in 33
states across the country has commenced.
The Minister, 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
He 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.
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
finalising 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.
“This is in fulfilment 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 urbanisation 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.