Minister Urges Stakeholders To Find Innovative Ways To Re-Position The Housing Sector The Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engineer Abubakar D. Aliyu , FNSE, has urged stakeholders to find more innovative ways of re-positioning the housing and urban development sector  for the overall benefit of the Nigerian citizens. He made the remark  while delivering his keynote address at the one- day sensitization forum on Lands, Housing and Urban Development Multilateral Programmes of Collaboration with the theme “Achieving National Housing and Urban Development Goals: Opportunities for Partnership and Collaboration’ in Abuja. Engr. Aliyu said that the rapid urbanisation  all over the world with its attendant severe social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts  has made it  mandatory to scale up actions as well as leverage on technical expertise and support from development partners to address the process. According to him, the Federal Government has accomplishedthrough support from Development Partners, the implementation of Nigerian States Urban Development Project (NSUP) as far back as1977 in Bauchi and Lagos; followed by the Imo Urban Development Project (IUDP). Both focused on developing sites and services programme for low income residential development. Other accomplishments he mentioned were the Infrastructure Development Fund Programme (IDF) implemented in 1985-2001to address long term financing for urban infrastructure in 11states of the Federation – Adamawa, Anambra, Benue, Borno, Ondo, Enugu, Yobe, Kogi, Plateau, Taraba and Ondo. Aliyu added that that programme later ledto the Community Based Urban Development Project (CBUP) launched in 2003 to 2011 with the provision of funds to support the urban basic services provision and infrastructure upgrading projects in 8 states:AkwaIbom, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Edo, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Ogun and Ondo. In other partnership efforts, the UN-Habitat, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Shelter Afrique have further impacted positively on the county’s housing sector, the minister said. The minister urged all stakeholders and intending stakeholders attending the 10th World Urban Forum (WUF10) to harness the diverse opportunities it presents in order to attract new technologies and innovations, capacity building and funding supports to effectively address our urban challenges especially in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the Urban SDGs. Speaking earlier in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Mohammed Bukar disclosed that the Interactive Session was convened to furnish stakeholders with insights on how to advance housing and human settlements development through the operations, mechanisms, tools and opportunities for collaboration with Multilateral Partners. Mr.Bukar said the interactive forum would ensure a coordinated, effective and harmonised participation of delegates to the Tenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF10) scheduled to hold in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 8th to 13th February, 2020 and produce ways of repositioning the housing and urban development sector for the benefit of every citizen of Nigeria. Andrew Chimphonda, Managing Director, Shelter Afrique, in his presentation, “Housing Development and Financing Options noted that Nigeria has an annual housing deficit of 22million. When this figure was queried by the Permanent Secretary, he promised to validate the figure and get back to the Ministry. Also, Ishaku Maitumbi, Human Settlement Advisor, a representative from United Nations Settlements Programme (UN-HABITA), in his  a presentation titled “ Partnership and Technical Cooperation for Sustainable Urbanisation,” identified collaboration and partnership as key elements to achieving sustainable housing development in Nigeria. Stakeholders in the built industry from the federal, State governments, the private sector, higher institutions, development partners and the media attended the one-day sensitization forum. ...

Nigeria And Turkey Need More Collaboration-Minister The Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engineer Abubakar D. Aliyu has emphasized the need for more collaboration between Nigeria and Turkey in order to achieve greater success in the development of both countries especially as they share common development goals. Engineer Aliyu made this emphasis when he received on behalf of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Turkish Minister of Trade, Her Excellency Rushar Peckan who paid a courtesy call on the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. Engineer Ali said, “In order to achieve success in our development since Nigeria and Turkey have common development goals, there is need to share knowledge in technological investment and collaborate in engineering design and construction for the purpose of providing infrastructure for development”. The Minister expressed the willingness of the Ministry of Works and Housing to collaborate with investors in the road infrastructure sector. He added that his Ministry was ready to partner with Turkey in the following areas: The development of various Greenfield and Brownfield projects across the nation,  mass development of affordable housing in selected city centres across Nigeria, capacity development and mentoring for Public-Private partnership officials. Earlier, the Minister of Trade for the Republic of Turkey, Her Excellency, Rushar Pekan disclosed that the purpose of the visit was to seek increased collaboration with the Ministry of Works and Housing with the view to increase Turkey’s trade volume in Nigeria in road construction and engineering. Pekan who described Nigeria as one of the most important countries and the biggest economy in Africa noted that Nigeria had great potential in road construction and engineeringadding that her country was blessed with experts in that field. She therefore urged the ministry to consider Turkish investors in those areas. She was accompanied on the visit by the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Melih Ulueren and some Turkish investors. ...

Senate Moves To Ensure Provision Of Affordable Housing For Poor Nigerians The Senate on Thursday mandated its Committee on Housing to urgently work out modalities with the various stakeholders in the National Housing Development sector to ensure the implementation of affordable housing for the poorest Nigerians. The resolution was reached after consideration of a motion on the “Urgent need to reform the Housing Policy and Mortgage Financing in Nigeria to meet the escalating housing demand in the country.” Sponsor of the motion, Albert Bassey Akpan, said low and middle class income earners constitute the largest active population in Nigeria. This population, according to him, finds it difficult to have access to housing in their lifetime. He recalled that the creation of the National Housing Fund through the National Housing Fund (NHF) Act of 1992 was specifically intended to cater for Nigerians in line with the various Housing policies and International Conventions and Treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory. Akpan stated that by virtue of the provisions of the NHF Act, a working class Nigerian is required to contribute 2.5 percent of his or her monthly salary to the fund which provides the source of funding to the Primary Mortgage Institutions (PMIs). He said, “Access to the fund through the PMI is cumbersome due to stringent and complex eligibility criteria which makes the development of housing through the fund challenging or practically impossible to date.” “Since the creation of the fund in 1992, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria as at 2013 disbursed only N100.5 billion. “In 2015, out of 4 million registered contributors to the fund, only 60,000 (1.5%) were able to access mortgage loans through the funds, leading to the construction of only 40,653 houses across the country,” Akpan said. The lawmaker further lamented that there exist little or no impact of the National Social Housing Development Programme in the country over the years owing to the escalating population growth in Nigeria. “There is dire and urgent need for a total review of our National Housing Policy framework to meet the needs of our people, especially the poorest Nigerians in line with the various International Conventions/Treaties of which Nigeria is a signatory,” Bassey said. In his contribution, Senator Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun East) called on the Federal Government to undertake an immediate overhaul of the country’s housing policies with a view to easing the burdens of poor Nigerians. “There is need to reorganise the housing policy, so that it will benefit the whole of Nigerians as soon as possible,” he said. Another lawmaker, Senator Binos Yaroe Dauda (PDP, Adamawa South) described Housing as “one of the fundamental needs of man.” The lawmaker, who called for a review of housing policies and mortgage financing, added, “It is important for this sector to be reformed, so that our people can have houses.” ...