The Federal Government will partner the private sector to meet the housing needs of Nigerians, Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said.
Fashola
made the statement on Thursday in Abuja during an inspection tour of
some housing units built through private sector initiative.
NAN
reports that a two bedroom flat in some of housing units inspected by
the minister goes for between N15 million and N27 million, while a four
bedroom flat goes for between N27 million and N29.5 million.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
that the minister inspected several blocks of flats at Brains and
Hammers Estate, Citec International Estate Limited and Sunny Vale
Estate, Abuja.
Fashola said the
collaboration was in line with the ministry’s efforts at ensuring a
`well designed’ programme that would accommodate cost reduction, supply
and programme design of buildings.
He said that the Habitat 111 programme was launched to address some of the housing problems.
He said: “From
our first housing summit and the hosting of the Habitat 111, we clearly
articulated that the national housing project of affordable housing was
the way to go.
“The mission of
the programme is to develop a programme that will accommodate the
design, building type, cost reduction and supply.
“Ultimately,
government has never been able to supply unilaterally the need of the
people; no government in the world has done that but we are doing our
best to reduce cost.
“So if we
really want to solve the problem, we are going to need the private
sector to really come in and build as well as bridge the market demand.’’
The
minister noted that majority of Nigerians in need of houses were not
actually looking for a five bedroom apartment but a house that would fit
into their income.
He said that the
programme would also be in such a way that it would also attract the
private sector to supply them the house of their type.
He
said that the ministry was working tirelessly on more research and
assistance to improve the design and quality of houses built by the
private sector.
Fashola said that the
coming in of the private sector in the housing programme would pave ways
for Nigerians to be gainfully employed.
He added that it would also help to address some of the problems the economy is currently faced with.
In her remarks, Mrs Ifeoma Okoye,
Executive Director, Business Development, Brains and Hammers, said that
her company would collaborate with the federal government on building
designs.
She said that the company engages local technicians in the construction of buildings.
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