Collaborative Efforts For Housing and Urban Development    - FMHUD Nigeria and Ansari Group UAE, explore partnership.   In a significant step towards enhancing global urban development, the Honourable Ministers of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa and H.E Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, participated in a multilateral virtual meeting with UN-Habitat and the Ansari Group of the UAE. The central focus of the meeting was the 1000 Cities Programme by UN-Habitat and the exploration of potential collaboration with the Ansari Group.   The Ansari Group was represented by its President, Dr. Sania Ansari, who expressed a strong commitment to sustainable urban development. The meeting was skillfully anchored by Ambassador Murtala Jimoh from the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who facilitated the discussions and ensured productive dialogue.   Dr. Ansari highlighted the Ansari Group's dedication to creating sustainable urban environments and their eagerness to partner with UN-Habitat in advancing the 1000 Cities Programme. This initiative aims to transform urban spaces worldwide, focusing on enhancing infrastructure, promoting sustainability, and improving the overall quality of life.   UN-Habitat representatives provided an in-depth overview of the programme, outlining its objectives and ongoing projects. They emphasized the critical role of private sector partnerships in achieving the programme's ambitious goals and the significant impact it aims to deliver.   The Honourable Ministers reaffirmed the government's support for the programme, recognizing the immense benefits such collaborations could bring to national urban development efforts. They stressed the importance of aligning these initiatives with national development plans and policies to ensure integrated and cohesive urban growth.   The meeting concluded with a commitment from all parties to continue exploring and formalizing the collaboration. Follow-up meetings and detailed discussions were planned to solidify the partnership framework and identify specific projects and initiatives.   This virtual meeting represents a pivotal move towards fostering international collaboration in sustainable urban development. The anticipated partnership between UN-Habitat, the Ansari Group, and the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs promises to drive transformative changes in urban landscapes, contributing significantly to the global effort of building better cities for future generations. ...

Senate Committee on Housing Supports Case for N500 Billion Annual Allocation for Renewed Hope Cities & Estates Programme   …Says Inflation, Huge Deficit Render Current Budget Insignificant   …Allocation for Housing Development Not Free Money but Profitable Investment, Says Minister   The Senate Committee on Lands, Housing, and Urban Development has thrown its support to the push by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa for N500 Billion in annual allocation to support the implementation of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme.   Reacting to the Minister’s briefing during an oversight invitation by the committee, the Chairman, Sen. Aminu Tambuwal, assured the Minister of full support to ensure he achieves the mandate of the Ministry, especially in the area of housing development.   Also reacting, the Vice Chairman, Sen. Victor Umeh noted that the case for N500 Billion by the Minister is justified, considering the huge housing deficit in the country, inflationary trends, and troubling foreign exchange. “At the end of the day, even that N500 Billion may not be able to do so much,” he said.   Earlier in his briefing, Arc. Dangiwa noted that budgetary provision for the housing and urban sector has not matched the housing and urban development needs of the nation for many years.   “There is a massive historic mismatch between the housing and urban development needs of our country versus budgetary provision. Rough statistics show that we need an annual increase in housing stock of about 550,000 units over the next ten years to meet the need. This would require about N5.5 trillion per annum.    “We are aware that all these cannot come from the Government and are working on Public Private Partnerships and other sources of housing finance. But the government needs to do more,” he said.   While he noted the transformative efforts of the Ministry in the last one year, he decried the insufficient allocation. “In the 2023 Supplementary budget we got N100bn. In 2024 we received approval for about N80bn. This is a far cry from what is needed to make a difference.   “I am taking the opportunity to make a solemn request for your consideration, Distinguished Senators, for the provision of a minimum of N500bn Budgetary Allocation Per Annum to the Ministry. This is less than 10% of the N5.5Trn annual requirement for tackling Nigeria’s housing challenge. It is important to state that this is not free money but a profitable investment. The houses will be built, sold and the money returned back to government over time. This is besides the jobs that will be created and the boost to the national economy.   “I must emphasize that money spent in housing development is not wasted money. It is an economic, social and security investment in our country. Housing is a catalyst for economic development, job creation and it should be prioritized alongside works, roads and bridges. In fact, over 80% of the money deployed to housing comes back in terms of value to the economy and national development,” he said.   The Minister further noted that housing development is a key catalyst for job creation, lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, and helping to achieve a $1 Trillion economy, which are key priorities of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.   Dangiwa further took out time to brief the lawmakers on the milestones achieved by the Ministry since his appointment in August 2023, including the flag-off for a total of 6,612 housing units across 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory since the launch of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme by President Bola Tinubu in February 2024. Most of the units are slated to be completed by the end of 2024. He noted that, although the plan was to build 500 housing units in each of the 30 states as Renewed Hope Estates, budgetary constraints have forced the Ministry to limit it to 250 units per state in the meantime.   Other key milestones are Slum Upgrade and Urban Renewal programme taking place in 26 locations across the country, as well as the inauguration of Four Reforms Task Teams to entrench synergy between housing institutions, enhance their housing delivery capacities, develop actionable blueprints for implementing land reforms and establishing a National Land Commission, as well as set up modalities for establishing Building Materials Manufacturing Hubs in the six (6) geopolitical zones of the country.   Other members of the committee urged the Minister to rapidly expand the programme to accommodate more states not captured in the first round of Ground-breaking exercises, with the Minister emphasizing that the only criteria for siting the projects is the provision of free, unencumbered land by the state governments.   ...

Minister of Housing Orders Investigation on Jos Building Collapse   …Promises Decisive Action Against Culprits   Following the unfortunate collapse of the Saint Academy School building in the Busa Buji area of Plateau State on Friday, 12 July 2024, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has directed the Plateau State Controller of the Ministry to embark on an immediate and comprehensive investigation to ascertain the cause of the collapse and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.   Reacting to the tragic incident, the Minister described the collapse as yet another unfortunate tragedy for the nation due to the negligence and unscrupulous behavior of certain individuals during the construction process. "Unfortunately, the issue of building collapse has once again reared its ugly head in our nation. This is unacceptable because every time something like this happens, there's a mother or father who has lost a child, a child who has lost a parent, or an individual who has lost a sibling or friend.   "The cost of building collapse cannot be quantified because lives are involved. In this case, it was a school with students whose only offense was to leave their homes in search of knowledge. This is totally unacceptable," he said.   Arc. Dangiwa stated that a directive has been issued to the appropriate officials of the Ministry to carry out a full-scale investigation into the incident.   "I have directed an investigation, and we will get to the bottom of this. I want to assure Nigerians that this investigation will not go the same way as others in the past where nobody is prosecuted for wrongdoing. We will ensure anyone found culpable faces the full weight of the law. I know that prosecution will not bring back those we have lost to this tragedy, but it will serve as a deterrent to others who may be involved in such practices," he noted.   A statement by the National Emergency Management Authority revealed that more than 40 students have been rescued from the rubble, with many of them still hospitalized in various health facilities in Jos. "We will allow rescue operations to be concluded by NEMA, and we hope that we will not record any more casualties.   "I want to express my deepest condolences to the families of those whose lives were cut short by this unfortunate and preventable tragedy. It is a national loss, and we share in their grief. For those in the hospital, our prayers and thoughts are with them, and we wish them a good recovery, while we charge the health personnel to rise to the occasion and save these precious lives," he added.   Dangiwa further noted that while it may be difficult to rewrite the wrongs of the past, the Ministry is committed to ensuring that the incidence of building collapse is prevented in the future by collaborating with relevant agencies to enforce building standards and regulations in the country. This is evident in the strong warnings issued to developers of ongoing Renewed Hope Cities and Estates projects in the country, as well as control and monitoring mechanisms set up by the Ministry.   "As a result of the complexity of the housing sector, the Ministry has to collaborate with agencies of government to promote the enforcement of building codes. We will not relent in this commitment to ensure that Nigerians can sleep in their homes, work at their various places of business, or even learn in their schools with peace of mind knowing that the building will not collapse on them," he said.   ...