HCSF, Folasade Honours Abimbola, Head PPP Housing Ministry.    The Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has given an award of honour to the Head of the Public Private Partnership Unit of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Abimbola Adenike Asein, for her dedication and excellent contributions to the mandate of the Housing Ministry.   The honour was in line with the Service -Wide Awards and Recognition, aimed at rewarding and recognizing outstanding Civil Servants in the Federal Civil Service.   The award which include cash was presented to Arc. Asein by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, CFR alongside the Chairman, AIG- Imoukhuede foundation Aigboje AIG- Imoukhuede CFR, and the Minister of youth development, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, on Saturday during the Award and Gala Night of the 2024 Civil Service Week, in Abuja.   This year’s Civil Service Week commenced on Friday, 14th June, 2024, with the theme “Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa”.   Arc. Abimbola Asein was particularly awarded for working and implementing several federal government housing and works programs nationwide, including affordable housing, as well as the highways developments and management initiatives in Nigeria.   The Secretary to the government of the federation, Dr. George Akume, represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the occasion    The President congratulated all the awardees, reminding them that to whom much is given, much is also expected.    He said, “As you are honoured today, remember that with recognition comes responsibility. Your continued dedication is essential as we strive for excellence in service to our nation”.   In her address, the Head of Civil Service of the federation Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan,  informed that Ministries Departments and Agencies were requested by the Standing Service-Wide Awards Selection Committee (SWASCo), to forward nominations based on a set of criteria and weightings provided in the approved Rewards and Recognition Scheme Guidelines, in order to ensure a transparent and credible selection process;  and according to her, the committee by its mandates screened nominations made by the Ministerial Selection Committee of MDAs, and selected deserving officers for the various categories of awards.   “Nominations were received from Forty-Six (46) Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Departments, out of which Six (6) Ministries were disqualified for lack of Citation which was the basis for assessment of nominees and Six (6) Ministries submitted double nominations, hence the total number of nominations received and assessed was Fifty –Two (52) nominees”, she explained.   Dr. Yemi-Esan also disclosed that Thirty-Nine Nominees scored above the cut-off mark and were selected for the 2024 Edition of the Federal Civil Service Rewards and Recognition, after a rigorous selection process in line with the Service-Wide Criteria and Weighting.   She announced that the categories of awards for presentation at the 2024 Edition of the Service-Wide Rewards and Recognition were: Presidential Distinguished Public Service Career Award, Presidential Civil Service Merit Award, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Award, The Public Service Excellence Award, 2024 Sports Achievement Award; and an award for three Ministries who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to Work-Life balance of their staff.   She further stated that the OHCSF enjoyed collaboration with stakeholders and partners from both public and private sectors to scale up the level of intervention of the Reward and Recognition Scheme, aimed at enhancing value proposition for civil servants; adding that a cash gift of N500,000 would be given to each of the best performing civil servants from the MDAs, as facilitated by Private Sector Partners, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation.   In attendance at the award night were some ministers of the federal republic of Nigeria, several permanent secretaries, representatives of the workers’ Unions (NLC and TUC), representatives of the Consortium of Insurance Companies, alongside other dignitaries. ...

Dangiwa to Flag Off Construction of Additional 2,000 Renewed Hope Housing Units in Eight States ●    Projects to create over 50,000 direct and indirect jobs The Hon. Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, is set to officially flag-off construction work for additional 2,000 housing units in eight (8) States in the South and North Central zones of the country in continuation of the groundbreaking ceremonies for Renewed Hope Cities and Estates. States slated for the exercise include Ebonyi, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Osun, Oyo, Benue and Nasarawa.  The nationwide groundbreaking exercise is sequel to the official launch of the housing programme by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in February 2024, with the inauguration of 3,112 housing units in Karsana, Abuja and the successful groundbreaking of 1,500 housing units in five states in the north comprising Katsina, Yobe, Gombe, Sokoto and Kano from 22nd to 25th May 2024. The schedule for the flag-off of construction activities will begin with 250 housing units in Ebonyi on Wednesday, 26th June 2024, followed by 250 units in Abia on Thursday, 27th June 2024; 250 units in Akwa Ibom on Friday, 28th June 2024; and 250 units in Delta State on Saturday, 29th June 2024. Others are 250 units in Osun (Tuesday 2nd July 2024), 250 units in Oyo (Wednesday 3rd July 2024), 250 units in Benue (Friday 5th July 2024), and 250 units in Nasarawa (Saturday 6th July 2024), bringing the total to 2,000 housing units in the eight states. This brings the total number of units under the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme since the official launch in February to 6,612. All the housing projects are scheduled to be completed and commissioned by the end of 2024 in line with the commitment of the Minister to ensure housing projects are speedily completed and occupied by Nigerians who need them. Each Renewed Hope Estate in Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Delta, Osun, Oyo, Benue, and Nasarawa will comprise 50 units of one-bedroom semi-detached bungalow, 100 units of 2-bedroom semi-detached bungalow, and 50 units of 3-bedroom semi-detached bungalow. As the Minister said, “the houses will be built in line with approved organic designs to allow eventual off-takers expand from one bedroom to two bedrooms, and from two bedrooms to three bedrooms as incomes increase over time. This design was adopted to enhance affordability for Nigerians.” The 2,000 housing units are being funded under the 2023 Supplementary Budget of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. The Minister has assured State Governments that the Renewed Hope Housing Programme is designed to cover all states of the Federation and those not captured under the supplementary budget will be taken care of under the 2024 budget. The 2,000 housing units are estimated to create about 50,000 skilled and unskilled jobs in the states at an average of 25 jobs per unit. “Beyond providing shelter for low-and-medium-income Nigerians, housing construction is a major stimulus for the local economy, creating jobs, supporting livelihoods, and developing the larger economy,” Arc. Dangiwa said. The housing projects also seek to promote inclusivity and integration and address inequalities by providing a broad range of affordable homeownership options. This includes single digit and up to 30-year mortgage loans to be provided by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Rent-to-Own options where beneficiaries can move in and pay towards homeownership in monthly, quarterly, or annual instalments and Outright Purchase for high income earners. ...

Dangiwa Emerges Chair, Caucus of African Housing Ministers The Honorable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has been unanimously elected as the Inaugural Chairperson of the Financial Caucus of African Ministers of Housing and Urban Development.  This decision was made by shareholders of Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) at the institution’s 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Symposium which held in Kigali, Rwanda, from June 11-13, 2024. The Caucus of African Ministers of Housing and Urban Development, an initiative of Arc. Dangiwa during his tenure as the 42nd Chair of the Bank’s AGM Bureau, was officially approved by ShafDB shareholders and launched on Thursday June 13, the closing day of the Bank’s 43rd AGM. It is designed to provide a platform for the ministers to collaborate, share knowledge, and develop policies and financing strategies to enhance their efforts in delivering sustainable and affordable housing solutions in their respective countries. Its aim is to create synergy by leveraging the collective strength of member countries, drawing on their unique experiences and resources to address Africa’s common housing challenges. Specifically, the Caucus will facilitate dialogue and information sharing by promoting best practices in housing policy, regulation, and implementation. It will help identify common challenges and opportunities in the housing sector to develop effective strategies for collective action and explore ways to mobilize resources and expertise from international partners, private sector stakeholders, and development organizations to support housing initiatives. Additionally, the Caucus will serve as a continental advocacy platform to prioritize the housing sector among national governments and bilateral and multilateral institutions. In response to his election, Hon. Dangiwa stated that the establishment of the Financial Caucus of African Ministers of Housing and Urban Development presents a unique opportunity to galvanize collective action and accelerate progress towards inclusive and sustainable housing development in Africa.  “I am excited that the shareholders not only considered and approved the establishment of the Caucus, which I proposed, but also went on to appoint me to lead it as the inaugural Chair. I pledge to give it my best. By fostering collaboration, promoting innovation, and mobilizing resources, we can transform our continent's housing landscape and significantly improve the quality of life for millions of our citizens. It is important for us to recognize that as Africans, we are one. We have a common continent; we have a common destiny, and our progress or backwardness reflects on us all. We must therefore be deliberate in supporting ourselves to make unified progress across all sectors. As far as housing and urban development is concerned, it is up to us and Ministers of Housing and Urban Development ensure that we move forward together,” he said. As Chairperson, Arc. Dangiwa will lead and coordinate the activities of the Caucus.  “In anticipate significant outcomes from the Caucus. This includes enhanced collaboration and knowledge exchange leading to innovative housing policies and strategies, increased investments in affordable housing projects supported by international donors and private sector partnerships, and improved access to decent and affordable housing for low-income populations contributing to poverty reduction and social inclusion. I also believe that it will lead to the strengthening of institutional capacities and regulatory frameworks to address housing challenges sustainably, and a heightened awareness and advocacy for housing issues, positioning them as priorities on regional and international development agendas.” Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) is a pan-African housing finance institution with shareholders from 44 African governments, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the African Re-Insurance Corporation (Africa-Re).   ...