FCT ready to partner with competent developers ― Minister

The Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, on Friday, disclosed that the FCT administration was ready to partner with any developer who has the capacity and competence to deliver on affordable housing aimed at bridging the housing deficit in the territory.

Dr Aliyu, according to a statement issued and signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Austine Elemue, a copy of which
was available to newsmen in Abuja, said such partnership would fast track the execution of the presidential mandate to deliver 5000 affordable housing units to residents of the territory.

The statement quoted minister of saying this during a meeting with the management of Tayan Group, an Estate Developer in Abuja.

She, however, warned that all development in the nation’s capital must comply with all engineering rules and regulations of construction within the FCT, just as she reiterated the commitment of the administration to complete all abandoned and ongoing projects.

The minister also stated that the administration would only partner with companies with the financial muscle to execute a project within 18 months period in order to avoid the mistakes of the past of littering the city with abandoned projects.

According to her, “I have seen your beautiful projects, but hoping that the property has valid documents and certified by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). All property in the territory must comply with all engineering rules and regulations of construction within the Federal Capital Territory.

“I want to use this opportunity to inform you that under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, and under the 13 presidential deliverables given to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, affordable housing is given priority. And in this affordable housing project, we intend to carry along competent companies of repute whose integrity has been proven by the various jobs they have executed within the nation.

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“Also one of the areas we are looking at is the financial muscles to execute a project going by the paucity of funds in the country, and any project awarded must be executed within a certain period of time.

“As a student of history, when a project is being initiated by any administration and it is not completed, then it becomes an abandoned project. But under the leadership of our indefatigable President Muhammadu Buhari, he has insisted that we must complete all abandoned and ongoing projects.

“Besides that, the only new projects we can execute now are projects that will have a meaningful impact on the citizenry; mainly the road construction, housing to give shelter, water, healthcare and transportation. So, the housing, of course, is Mr President priority.” She explained.

The minister also noted that one of the cries and challenges of people who work in the Federal Capital Territory was a place of abode, stressing that in order to ease that burden and to reduce the difficulties, the president has ordered the provisions of affordable housing.

Earlier in his presentation, the Managing Director of Tayan Group, Mr Tola Ayanlola, used the occasion to unveil the company’s “Project 10,000 Smiles Home for All” located in Kuje, adding that the project was planned to accommodate all classes of people in line with the vision of the company.

Ayanlola revealed that the shortage within the housing industry has prompted higher affordability certainties, stressing that the involvement of Tayan Group was to provide a bridge in the gap and provide benefiting and affordable accommodations that would be made available to all.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE