Housing Ministry Partners World Bank on Urban Resilience,  Land Titling, Registration    ● Natiion's vast land assets to become more economically viable, boost states' revenue - Dangiwa    ● To grow rate of titled Land from 10% to 50% in 5 years   The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the World Bank Group have resolved to work together towards addressing the 90% of land in Nigeria that is unregistered and untitled.    The move is aimed at making the nation's vast land assets more economically viable and unlocking the over $300 billion in dead capital tied up in such undocumented land.   This was the outcome of a courtesy call on the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa by a delegation of the World Bank led by its Vice President (Infrastructure), Guangzhe Chen in Abuja,  Wednesday, September 11th, 2024.   One of the areas of the collaboration is the National Land Registration and Titling Programme in partnership with the state governments. As the Minister said, "this is very important to our government as over 90% of land in our country is unregistered and untitled. Experts estimate a dead capital of over $300bn"    "Through this initiative that we plan to implement with the World Bank, we aim to, amongst other objectives, register, document and title all land parcels within five years; develop and launch a National Digital Land Information System (NDLIS) and define a framework that makes it accessible to all stakeholders; increase the formalization of land transactions from less than 10% to over 50% in the next 10 years; and train and deploy technically competent land registration officers nationwide," he said.   The Minister added that land registration and titling will open up sources of revenue for the states who can boost their income through ground rent, Certificates of Occupancy, and taxes accruing from increased investments in real estate.    Accordingly, he further said that such funds can be used to provide urban services in the states which can help minimise the effect of climate change across cities in Nigeria.   Arc Dangiwa also observed "We have examples from states who have implemented proper land registration systems using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Kaduna and Nasarawa are two good examples. These states have not only been able to significantly improve land registrations, but have also generated huge revenues in the process,"    Addressing the issue of Urban Livability, which he says is another area of common interest, Dangiwa noted, "Implementation of the approved National Urban Development Policy is a key priority of the administration of Mr. President. We have to create the necessary frameworks towards an effective, impactful and sustainable implementation towards improving the management of our urban areas and improving service delivery, saying that the World Bank’s Technical Capacity in the area will be highly needed.   "The third focus area is the development of a Framework towards addressing the systemic barriers along the housing value chain. Doing this will help us to enhance private, affordable housing investments," he added.   The Minister recalled the recent Livability Workshop held with Commissioners of states with the largest concentration of urban areas, noting that the recommendations from the engagement are already being developed into an Actionable Plan in collaboration with the World Bank team.   Citing the recent flooding in Maiduguri which left more than 200,000 people displaced, the Minister said the need to invest in urban resilience has become more evident in recent times following rapid climate change and the susceptibility of many Nigerian urban centres to its impact.   Speaking earlier, the World Bank Vice President of Infrastructure, Guangzhe Chen said the purpose of the visit was to identify areas of common interests which they can prioritise in their collaboration with the Ministry.    He dusclosed that the Bank is open to supporting Nigeria on land administration, affordable housing, sustainable financing mechanisms, addressing the impact of climate change on the urban sector, and engaging in urban land management towards the attainment of livable cities, digitization, among others    "We have developed some models and worked with some countries in West and Central Africa on urban Livability and resilience, and these models can be reviewed and replicated in Nigeria," he said.   He added that the World Bank is open to providing financing and technical support to the Ministry to help the government achieve its housing and urban agenda.   Also in the delegation was the Country Director of the World Bank, Ndiame Diop, who gave the assurance that the priorities outlined will be looked at by both teams, fine-tuned, and developed into comprehensive programmes to drive the nation's housing and urban agenda, including improving the mortgage ecosystem, implementing a structured land Titling system, and offering urban planning technical support to help vulnerable cities in Nigeria mitigate challenges of flood and rising heat levels.   Diop remarked "The Minister talked about affordable housing delivery, and it's good to see that there is a functional system in the form of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, which can be supported for enhanced capacity. The issue of land registration which I find worrisome, is one area that requires urgent attention. Having 90% of land unregistered can be an obstacle for Development in the sector"    The Country Director also expreseed his happiness that the Minister is already discussing with state governments on the matter which he described as a key aspect towards achieving it, saying that States have to adopt the improved systems.    " We will see how we can also come in and help enrich those conversations, so that we can work together to help the country achieve increased land Titling," he assured    In his closing remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, solicited for support from the World Bank in the area of capacity building in needed areas, for the incoming new staff of the Ministry, given that the experienced and old staff were retiring from the service and needed replacement with capable hands.   ...

Dangiwa Advocates Adoption of Green, Sustainable, Climate Smart Housing   …says collaboration with IFC EDGE will unlock green solutions, financing   Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has made a case for the adoption of green, sustainable, and climate smart housing designs and technologies in the country's housing industry, charging professionals in the sector to be innovative and ingenious.   Speaking at the 2024 Archibuilt Exposition organised by the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Tuesday September 10th 2024 at the Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja, the Minister urged the institute and other built professionals to find alternative and sustainable solutions to the housing needs in Nigeria.   "We have seen transformative ideas presented at previous expositions, from using sustainable building materials to energy-efficient designs, water conservation techniques, and zero-emission construction technologies. The ongoing conversations will shape the future of construction in Nigeria and resonate globally. Innovation, built on technology and equitable resource utilisation models, is what we need" he said    The Minister highlighted the critical role of Architects in achieving the SDG -11 which calls for sustainable cities and communities, stating that Architects hold the power to design urban spaces that are inclusive, resilient, and adaptive to the needs of the future.   "  We must ask ourselves: How can we ensure that the cities we build are not only environmentally sustainable but also inclusive and socially equitable? How can we foster urban ecosystems that promote healthy living, economic development, and environmental stewardship but yet groundbreaking enough?" He asked.   He also urged Architects to rise to the occassion on the issues of rapid rural-urban migration and astronomic population growth which will put strain on infrastructure, stating that African States have struggled to respond to the challenges of rapid rural-urban migration and the surging population estimated to hit 2.5 billion by the year 2050, which Nigeria alone was said to account for over 400 million, ranking her the 3rd largest country globally.   "As Architects, how do we respond to this scenario of an ever-increasing strain on our natural resources? ,he asked  Accordingly, the Minister noted that, the answer lies in African states to deploy homegrown solutions with core innovation and begin to interrogate current and future needs.   On the use of local and indigenous materials as a way of preserving cultural identity, he said " optimizing the use of local materials like bamboo, laterite and compressed earth blocks will help to reduce carbon footprints, while maintaining the structural integrity of our buildings… Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we are committed to supporting initiatives that promote sustainable housing, infrastructure, and urban development,"   He also revealed that the 3,112 Karsana Renewed Hope City and all designs for the other six Renewed Hope Cities in each of the six geo-political zones are currently undergoing the process of EDGE Green Certification, assuring that the focus on Green practices across the Renewed Hope Estates being developed nationwide will lead to the creation of the largest green footprint in the history of housing development in the country and perhaps Africa.   The Minister also reiterated efforts by the Ministry to establish six Building Materials Manufacturing Hubs, one in each of the nation's geopolitical zones, adding that the Task Team set up to draw up the modalities for their establishment have recently submitted their report which is being reviewed for implementation.   Other dignitaries at the event include former Vice President and Special Guest of Honour, Arc. Namadi Sambo, who called for the need to reimagine cities not just as a static collective but as a dynamic ecosystem that should change with the times.    "We must invest in cities that promote mobility, reduce congestion, and improve the quality of lives of the people. We must also focus on mixed-used neighborhoods that promote togetherness," he said.   Arc Sambo urged the Architects to set up a think-tank that would periodically update the Minister of Housing on innovations for the sector that are practical and implementable for the growth of the housing sector, especially through the delivery of sustainable and affordable housing.   Earlier, the President of Nigerian Instituteof Architects, Arc. Mobolaji Adeniyi said that the event will showcase cutting-edge products, ideas, and technologies that will redefine the built environment, noting that the goal is to explore the intersection between architecture, technology, and innovation. ...

Kano Building Collapse; Housing Minister Orders Immediate Investigation  Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has decried the recent building collapse in Noman's Land Quarters in Kano and ordered a full scale investigation into the root cause of the unfortunate incident. Recall that a two-storey building at Noman's Land Quarters in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State was reported to have collapsed and trapped many people inside Dangiwa who directed the relevant officials to quickly investigate the Kano collapse, said government will take decisive action after the finding is submitted  The Minister, who decried the recurrence of building collapse in the country, emphasised the need for an overhaul in the system and full implementation of building codes and regulations in the country. Dangiwa described the Kano collapse incident as another sad development exposing the rot in the building industry over the years which if unchecked will continue to remain catastrophic to the industry and society. A report by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) revealed that two persons were recovered from the rubles dead, while two others had been taken to the hospital for treatment  Accordingly, Dangiwa called on state governments to rise up to the challenge and the relevant agencies to swing into action to preempt anything capable of causing the building collapse. The Minister recalled the last Jos school building collapse and emphatically stated that the federal government is committed to getting the root of the matter and prosecute every one found culpable.  “I have received the report of the Jos collapse investigation and a checklist of all professionals involved in the construction is being compiled for us to take action" he stated  Arc Dangiwa assured that government will do what is needed to deter others from putting Nigerians at risk with their reckless and unprofessional activities, stating that the ministry is working on a robust regulation mechanism with relevant stakeholders in the industry to enforce building codes across the country in close collaboration with the states. “I implore the State governments who are closer to the people and directly supervising the land to wake up and be more effective in checking the excesses of quacks in the building construction industry" The Minister stated  He explained that, relevant agencies should ensure whether due diligence was observed in the issuance of building permit and find out if all approvals were given for all categories of buildings, adding that if any infraction was found in the process appropriate penalty must be taken The Minister also advised the builders to ensure quality and high standard building materials were used and also adhere to original structural design He expressed condolences to the families of those whose lives were lost by the unfortunate tragedy and prayed for quick recovery for those hospitalized. ...