Dangiwa Assures Zamfara State Citizens  Affordable Housing   Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa  has assured  Zamfara State Governor of the ministry's commitment to ensuring that its citizens have  access to affordable housing in the state. Dangiwa gave this assurance when Governor Dauda Lawal Dare of the State paid a  courtesy visit to his office in Abuja,  Thursday, 10th October,2024. "At the ministry of Housing and Urban Development, we want to assure that we will provide all the support you required in your efforts to enhance decent, quality and affordable housing to your citizens,' the minister stated.  The Minister acknowledged and appreciated Governor Dare for the 50 hectres of land provided for the Renewed Hope Estate at no cost to the ministry, saying that free land, will make the houses affordable to the citizens  Accordingly, Dangiwa also assured the Governor that Zamfara state would be on the priority list of the ministry to benefit from subsequent  building programmes of the ministry. "Let us assure your Excellency that the ministry will ensure that Zamfara state is included in the next batch of the  states to benefit from the programe," Dangiwa remarked. On National Housing Programme, NHP, the Minister said " I have also been informed that our officials are engaging with your team to which next week they are coming again regarding your interest in purchasing the unsold housing units under the National Housing Program in your state." He noted that though the  ministry had done a downward review of  the  prices of the houses as requested by the state government of Zamfara, he would look in to it as to see how it could be further reviewed downward, revealing the ministry was not making profits from sales of the houses.  Dangiwa also affirmed that the cost expended on infrastructure on the houses have been written - off to ensure affordability, mentioning that the ministry was aware  that  Zamfara state government would further subsidised for its citizens after buying them to ensure affordability.  He added, "our aim is just to recover the cost of constructing these houses so we can build more for other Nigerians to benefit."  Similarly, the minister who affirmed  that  Zamfara state  would benefit from the housing construction under PULAKU Initiative Housing Project  of  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at addressing the grievances and social exclusion of Fulani in the north west and to also address the cause of banditry in the nation, revealed that  the ground breaking for Zamfara state would  soon be done. While acknowledging that Zamfara state government has also provided land for construction of houses for actualization of PULAKU Initiative in the state in addition to the land provided for  Renewed Hope Estate, the Minister  gave assurance that the  ministry will always collaborate with the state government.   Speaking earlier, Governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Dauda Lawal Dare, said  they were in the ministry to appeal to the minister for his  intervention to fast track the completion of the agreement between the ministry and Zamfara state on purchase of the NHP housing units in the state as it  would enable the state take over the structure.  Dare noted the Zamfara state being bedeviled with many challenges like insecurity, lack of infrastructure, housing care among others would need the intervention of the ministry to provide decent, quality and affordable houses for its citizen because tackling the challenges has taken a toll on the state's finances. He said, "I want to appeal that Zamfara state should always be considered as one of the first in any structured you are going to put in place bearing in mind some of the situations the state is facing." ...

Ogunbiyi Launches Housing Ministry PMS DAY . .... Says, PMS Improves efficiency, productivity in Public Service  The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi has officially ushered in the weekly Performance Management System (PMS) Day in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. The launch which took place at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, is in adherence to the directive from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, which mandates Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies to set aside every Thursday for activities related to Performance Management System. In his keynote address, the Permanent Secretary described PMS as a tool for setting goals, appraising and monitoring of employee performance as well as delivery of institutional mandate, which provides a systematic process of planning work and providing support to employees. He lauded the timely nature of the PMS which is one the six pillars of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 project, emphasizing that the institutionalization, will not only improve efficiency and productivity in the Public Service but also is key to achieving the objectives of the ongoing reform initiatives and culture re-orientation in the Public Service. While noting that the PMS Day is not just a routine exercise but a call to action for all to embrace the vision of an efficient, responsive and performance-based Federal Civil Service, Ogunbiyi cautioned that it was a collective responsibility that spans all levels of officers in the Ministry including the  security personnel and janitory service providers. “Everyone has a vital role to play in ensuring that PMS is not just a beautiful policy on paper but a living organisational culture within the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development”, he said. The Permanent Secretary charged the Directors as leaders of their respective departments to lead by example and set the tone for accountability and performance at departmental levels, aimed at institutionalizing PMS, so as to inspire other staff to follow suit. To the middle and junior-level officers, Ogunbiyi reminded that their dedication and hard work were the bedrock of the Ministry’s sucess, adding that the PMS is designed to recognize and reward their contributions to the vision of the Housing Ministry; he said, “I encouraged you to see this initiative as an opportunity to showcase your talents, sharpen your skills and play active roles in the development of our Ministry and Nation at large”. The Permanent Secretary acknowledged that the implementation of PMS will help the Ministry which is young, having been recently demerged from the Ministry of works, to have a robust framework to measure progress, identify areas of improvement and celebrate successes. “Iam confident that if we fully embrace the PMS, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development will set a benchmark for other Ministries to follow” he said. Earlier in his welcome address, the Director department of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mohammed Bala Saulawa, said the event marks a critical milestone in the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to implement the deliverables of PMS to enhance performance, productivity and accountability. He appreciated the visionary leadership of the Permanent Secretary and his support towards the implementation of PMS in the Ministry, as well as the Directors for their commitment to the successes recorded so far since April 2024. Mr. Saulawa called on all PMS team, particularly departmental champions to embrace the culture of change by learning the whole processes and approaches of PMS for effective implementation in their respective departments. “Champions are required to coordinate the PMS activities such as Performance Contracts, Performance Monthly Review and Performance Appraisal for each staff for onward submission to Human Resource Management Department”, he added. Also in his vote of thanks, the director department of Human Resource Management Dr. Akinola Adesina, called on the staff to sit up and embrace the PMS because it has come to stay, having replaced the Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) which has been scrapped from the Federal Civil Service. He called on the departments that are yet to complete the cascading process for the PMS to emulate the department of the PRS who has set the ball rolling  and complete theirs. Dr. Adesina further implored the core teams and PMS champions to go back and deliver on their various assignments. ...

Dangiwa Breaks Ground for 10,000 Housing Units in Enugu State   …Says state governments, private developers can play huge role in bridging housing gap   Enugu, 9th October 2024 - The Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has today, 9th October 2024, performed the groundbreaking for 10,000 housing units in Enugu State. The flag-off, which had the attendance of the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, is for Graceland Estate being developed by COPEN Group.   Speaking during the groundbreaking, the Minister said such projects were in line with the focus of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration towards the delivery of affordable housing to Nigerians, especially by creating the enabling environment for private sector players to thrive.   "This Estate, part of the 10,000-housing unit Coal City Eastern Extension Layout, aligns with His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's goal to deliver quality and affordable housing to all Nigerians.   "As you may be aware, the housing challenge in our country is immense. Statistics show that to address this problem, we need to build approximately 550,000 housing units annually over the next ten years, which would require about N5.5 trillion per annum," he said.   Decrying the enormous challenge that the deficit poses, he said the situation must be perceived as an opportunity to innovate and bring about solutions that will trigger sustainable housing delivery in Nigeria not just in the short-term, but for future generations as well.   "This huge housing deficit is the result of ineffective implementation of housing policies, suboptimal performance of housing delivery institutions, an undeveloped housing market, an untapped secondary mortgage market, and, of course, a tough macroeconomic environment.   To address these issues, he said a mix of solutions are being pursued to bridge the deficit including exploring funding options, such as private sector developers, housing finance institutions— both local and international— philanthropic bodies, well-meaning Nigerians, and corporate Nigeria on board to make the necessary impact, as well as partnerships with reputable private developers.   "Like all other systemic problems hindering our nation’s development, the administration of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is boldly and frontally addressing the housing deficit to change the narrative for good.   "Already the results are visible. In just over one year, under the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, we have commenced construction work for a total of 6,612 housing units across 13 states and the FCT, with many of these units now at advanced stages of completion. We intend to complete most of them by December, so Nigerians can begin to own these homes.   "Additionally, work has started on 3,500 housing units across three new Renewed Hope Cities, including 2,000 units in Lagos (South West) and 1,500 units in Kano (North West). In the South East, we selected Enugu for the development of a 2,000-unit Renewed Hope City, which will be delivered as part of the MoU we signed with a consortium of developers for 100,000 housing units nationwide," he added.   Commending the Governor for creating the enabling environment and making available 260 hectares in a viable location, he urged him to continue the good work he has started. "I would like to express my profound appreciation to the Executive Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Dr. Peter Mbah for creating an enabling environment for private sector participation in housing development in the State.    "I have been here on a couple of occassions and had series of interactions with His Excellency and I can say that he is a visionary leader who is quietly doing and accomplishing great things. Your Excellency, Enugu State is lucky to have you as a Governor. Without your Excellency’s support and encouragement, this project that we are here to perform groundbreaking for would not have been possible," he noted.   Arc. Dangiwa also commended the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Copen Group, Rev. Dr. Sullivan Chime, whom he described as a good friend, housing stakeholder, and advocate for affordable housing, for the exemple he is setting in the state and beyond.   "I have known Dr. Chime for several decades now, and throughout this time, I have never had cause to doubt his integrity, professionalism, friendship, and commitment to public service. The Graceland Estate, for which I am here to perform groundbreaking today, adds another feather to Dr. Chime’s impactful life as a reputable developer. As the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, we are proud to be a part of this project under the broad framework of our Renewed Hope Housing Programme," he concluded.   Also speaking, Governor Mbah, represented by the Deputy Governor, Bar. Ifeanyi Ossai, hailed the initiative by COPEN Group, describing its Managing Director, Dr. Chime as an illustrious son of Enugu State. He further hailed the support of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for the project and for capturing Enugu State in the Renewed Hope Cities & Estates programme through the planned 2,000-unit Renewed Hope City.   Speaking further, the Governor charged stakeholders to do more to bring down the cost of housing construction. "We must invest in research. We have to find a way to creatively reduce the cost of construction by reducing our reliance on cement… I am happy that you have been able to design an approach and bring together all the parties needed to make this project affordable and accessible to our people," he said. ...