Housing Sector Experts, Stakeholders Converge for National Housing Council in Gombe

* Affordable housing for Nigerians, building collapse menace, key topics for discussion

Regulatory agencies, Professional bodies and stakeholders in the Nigeria housing  sector have converged in Gombe, Gombe State capital for the 13th Meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

Organised by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the13th Council meeting themed "Housing the Future: Affordable Housing for Economic Growth, Climate Resilience and Urban Development" would last till Friday,  November 15th, 2024.

It is a meeting of stakeholders in the housing sector to review and discuss issues confronting the sector, exchange ideas and proffer solutions to move the sector forward.

Participants at the meeting include: States' Honourable Commissioners, federal and States Directors in the built environment,  States' Surveyors- General, General Managers/CEOs of Housing Coorperatios,  Permanent Secretaries, Professionals and Regulatory bodies in the housing sector.

In a key note address, the Commissioner, Gombe State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportation, Engr. Usman Maijama'a Kallamu, stated that the meeting would reveal the importance of affordable housing as a driver of economic growth, tool to mitigate climate and foster sustainable urban development.

" Our collective goal is to provide opportunity for every individual to have access to safe, decent and affordable  housing" he remarked.

In a welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Gombe State Ministry of Works,  Housing and Transportation, Danladi Adamu, charged the delegates with the provision of mechanism to attract, increase, encourage and promote domestic sector investment in the housing sector, urging them to ensure the growth of best practices in the building sector to address incessant building collapse in the country.

In his introductory remark, Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Mohammed Bala Saulawa, explained that the Council meeting was structured into three sessions namely; the technical session of the directors, the session of the body of Permanent Secretaries under the Chairmanship of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and the Ministerial/States Commissioners session which is presided over by the Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development.

Saulawa further stated that, the National Council on Lands Housing and Urban Development is the highest body in policy making for lands, housing and urban development matters in Nigeria.

He urged participants to display a high level of professionalism in their deliberations, noting that,  the technical session is expected to come up with solutions to the critical areas that will enhance housing affordability, provide equilibrium in demand and supply of housing market and tackle rapid increase in building collapse in Nigeria

On building collapse, Saulawa pointed out that, it is not only about the building itself, rather the lives that are being lost and properties wasted, noting that council will come up with the policy that would help to curb the menace of building collapse in Nigeria.

He further revealed that the Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has recently inaugurated the building collapse tribunal, aimed at ensuring that anyone found wanting of the established laws will be sanctioned.

The Council meeting affords experts from different field in the built environment the opportunity to share their wealth of experiences ranging from housing finance, prevention of building collapse, effective and efficient way of ensuring compensation for lands to the beneficiaries, among others.