For most Nigerians seeking affordable homes of their own, the Federal Government via the Ministry of Works and Housing, said it has completed 4,652 housing units of various categories across 34 states of the federation under its national housing programme, and as well granted final approval for their disposal. Dayo Ayeyemi reports.
If we go by the way of policies, Nigerians should have been the most housed in the world. But this is not so due to lack of political will by the successive governments to do the needful by implementing some of the documents on how to reduce homelessness among the citizens.
Trying to approach the situation differently, the present government embarked on the National Housing Programmes and followed its implementation, reporting back to Nigerians the results of the expedition six years after, among other initiatives.
For many Nigerians, especially first- time home seekers that have been expressing worry about the actual delivery dates and commencement of sales of the housing units under the National Housing Programme (NHP) of the Federal Government, there is good news coming their way.
Latest findings by Nigerian Tribune reveal that the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing being led by the Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has secured the necessary approvals for the sale of the housing units.
According to the minister, most of the dwelling units have been completed across the country, including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister disclosed that no fewer than 4,652 housing units under the scheme have been completed or ongoing across 34 states that made land available in the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.
The completion of the housing units, he said, while reeling out the achievements of President Mohammadu Buhari in six years, is an indication that the houses would soon be put out for sale to the Nigerian public.
Briefing the Federal Executive Council recently, Fashola explained that modalities for the disposal of the houses and the prices had been finalised and awaiting final approval.
He disclosed that advertisement for the sale of the houses via online platform would soon be published.
“Today, 34 out of the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT which provided land to the ministry in the first phase are beneficiaries of the National Housing Programme,” the minister said.
On the national housing project in the states, he restated that in the next few weeks, the ministry will be unveiling the dedicated web portal for the sale of the buildings to Nigerians on a first come first serve basis.
He urged the state governments to alert their residents to this opportunity for interested persons to apply, disclosing that contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) should be able to access mortgage loans that will facilitate affordability.
When asked by Nigerian Tribune at the weekend if truly the houses are ready and the date of commencement of sales, spokesperson to the Minister, Mr Hakeem Bello, said “The fact that a dedicated portal for interested subscribers to apply for the housing units will soon be unveiled is indicative of the fact that all necessary approvals have been secured.”
News about the completion or near completion of the project is coming almost six years after the Federal Government led by President Mohammadu Buhari rolled out the National Housing Programme (NHP) and embarked the construction of the housing units.
It was gathered that six designs were brought in to reflect the socio-cultural diversities of the Nigerians following an intensive research across the country,
They designs of the housing units encompassed one, two and three-bedroom bungalows with court yards that respond to the climate situation and cultural leanings of the North, to be built in states in the North East, North West and North Central parts of Nigeria and blocks of 16 and 24 flats (condominiums) of one, two and three-bedrooms and bungalows of one and two bedrooms to be built in the South-South, South-East and South-West and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Although, most Nigerians have expressed disappointment over the slow-pace nature of the 4,652 housing project, considering the need to bridge the nation’s accommodation deficit of 17 million units.
According to the United Nation’s estimates, Nigeria will need to produce one million housing units per annum for the next 20 years to bridge the housing deficit.
However, Fashola explained that it was not only through the National Housing Programme that the Federal Government is tackling the apparent housing challenges in the country, saying it has ‘multi-pronged approach’ in addressing the problems.
According to him, NHP was only one of the multiple housing interventions of the government in the housing sector, listing site and service scheme as another aspect whereby government only construct roads, provide electricity and water while allottees build their houses themselves.
Talking about the deployment of cooperative housing, the minister said the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has been the driver of the initiative at federal level.
According to Fashola, the apex mortgage bank now has 86 co-operatives engaged in projects, while it has approved cumulative N35, 784 million and disbursed N10.95 billion.
According to the minister, 57 Co-operative Housing Development Loans were under processing as at January, 2021.
“The potential for accessibility and affordability is that: Co-operative members can choose what they want and therefore design and build to fit their own individual and group budget; Co-operatives can leverage their members to get group discount for purchase of building materials and the engagement of contractors to build,” Fashola said.
He stated that because of the fact that the state governments control much more land, the use of the land as a tool to enable co-operatives within their states to build, could be very impactful in changing the affordability and accessibility paradigms in the COVID-19 era and beyond.
In addition, the minister said there were mortgage support schemes where the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) would provide mortgages to citizens who are contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF).
Through policies such as the reduction of equity contribution from five per cent to 0 per cent for those seeking mortgage loans of up to N5 million, and reduction from 15 per cent to 10 per cent for those seeking loans over N5 million, he said the FMBN is helping them to ease access to housing.
To date, according to him, the FMBN has disbursed about N51.23 billion as intervention in the sector.
“There is also a Rent to Own Scheme and the Home Renovation Loan Scheme, again under the NHF,” he said.
Other forms of intervention, he said, included the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O’s) on Federal Government lands with the objective to facilitate people who want to buy already existing lands or who want to sell already existing lands in order to acquire houses, and granting of Consent to transactions on sale and purchase of existing buildings.
He said there was a programme whereby government gives some of its land to the private sector to build on a profit sharing basis.
In tackling the backlog of issuance of Consent and Certificate of Occupancy to Federal Government’s land, he said that a total of 2,230 applications for consent to transfer interests in land application and 4,587 C of O have been approved and signed respectively till date.
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