Decent Housing for Police Personnel a Priority for FG - Dangiwa … says over N10 billion Mortgage loans, others disbursed to Force so far The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has assured the Nigerian Police Force of the federal government's commitment towards providing decent and affordable housing to its officers and men across the country.  The Minister gave the assurance while speaking at the maiden edition of the Nigeria Police Housing Summit held at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.  He noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda for Housing is a holistic plan to ensure every Nigerian, including members of the Force, has access to decent and affordable housing. He said the theme of the Summit, “Renewed Hope for Police Housing in Nigeria", speaks to the acknowledgement of past challenges, the commitment to overcoming them, and the optimism for a brighter future. Speaking through the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Shehu Usman Osidi, Dangiwa reiterated the essence of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, and urged the Force to embrace strategic partnerships with Housing agencies like the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Housing Authority towards realising decent, affordable and safe housing for officers and men of the Force. He outlined some of the outcomes of previous engagements between the Federal Mortgage and the NPF to include; over N2.9 Billion in mortgage loans disbursed to 807 police beneficiaries, N2.1 Billion disbursed to the Police Cooperative Housing Development Company to construct 806 housing units, about N158 Million disbursed to 22 beneficiaries under the Rent-to-Own platform, and over N289 Million as Home Renovation Loan to 316 officers. Other initiatives according to the Minister also include the funding of ongoing housing projects for the Police Cooperative in various locations in Abia, Adamawa, Ogun, Kaduna and the FCT; the refund of a cumulative sum of over N1.8 Billion to 18,619 retired police officers, as well as N3 Billion in mortgage loans to the Nigeria Police MultiPurpose Cooperative Society and Nigeria Police Force Property Development and Construction Company Ltd. for the construction of 236 housing units at Goza, Wawa District, Abuja. He decried the long term relegation of the issue of police housing, which has resulted in dire consequences for both the officers and the communities they serve, and commended the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for convening the Summit with the right set of critical stakeholders, central to resolving the challenge of providing shelter to the rank and file of the Nigeria Police. " Our police officers are the frontline defenders of law and order, often working tirelessly under challenging conditions. The inadequate housing facilities only aggravate their challenges, impacting their morale, well-being, and ultimately, their effectiveness in ensuring the safety and security of the nation" he stated  Similarly, the minister noted  that “Collaboration is essential in harnessing resources, expertise, and innovative solutions to accelerate the pace of development. Through strategic alliances and creative financing mechanisms, we can overcome the constraints that have hampered progress and deliver tangible results within a reasonable timeframe,” Earlier in his address, IGP Egbetokun, alluding to the importance of the Summit, disclosed that “the housing capacity of the Force is about 10-12% of the over 400,000 workforce,” and “due to long years of neglect, the existing and available barracks accommodations are largely unsuitable and incompatible with 21st century policing architecture that we desire to build.” He noted that the Summit was conceived as a platform to discuss and dilate ideas to actualize their vision of accessible and affordable housing for officers and men of the Nigeria Police and would be held on a yearly basis henceforth.   ...

Housing Ministry, LGs' Departments Collaborate on Slum Upgrading, Urban Renewal Programme  Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is to collaborate with the nation's local government departments of Works, Housing, Transportation and Environment on slum upgrading and Urban Renewal Programme in selected states of the federation. This was affirmed  when the leadership of the National Association of Directors of Local Government Departments of Works, Housing, Transport and Environment in Nigeria paid a study and advocacy visit to the Honourable Minister,  Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa in his office. The representatives of the association were led on the visit to the housing ministry by its National President, Musa K. Adamu. Minister Dangiwa told the delegation that beyond housing delivery, the ministry is embarking on slum upgrade and urban renewal in selected states across the country, hence the need for closer collaboration with the relevant local government department's in the selected states in the execution of the programme. "Through this programme, we are upgrading communities deemed not fit for human habitation by all standards and transforming them into decent, liveable communities.  We will do this by providing infrastructure like roads, water, sanitation, and other amenities. This means we will be needing the support and collaboration of your members in these places to make our work easy" he said. Similarly,  the minister also remarked that "As Directors and Heads of departments of works, housing, transport, and environment, you have an important role to play in driving policies at the local government levels". He also disclosed that the housing ministry is working on another programme under the National Social Housing which will be deployed to the Local Government Areas . " Under the National Social Housing Programme, the Federal Government wants to build 100 decent and affordable accommodations in each of the 774 Local Government Areas to the low income and underprivileged citizens" he stated  On requests made by the association for involvement in development matters, policies and projects that are crucial to the welfare of the localities, the Minister assured them that the ministry would invite them for its subsequent annual Council meetings as observers as well as encourage agencies under the ministry to collaborate with them on housing delivery. Earlier in his remarks, the National President of the Association Musa Adamu told the minister that the study and advocacy visit provided them the opportunity to commend the developmental efforts of the ministry. He appealed on behalf of the Association to the Minister to partner with them in revitalising their departments for optimal performance and grassroots development. Adamu said they were optimistic that the Honourable Minister would use his office to take decisions that would foster  harmonious relationships between the Ministry and Local Governments in Nigeria.   ...

Housing Ministry, IWCC Collaborate to Promote UN-HABITAT Programmes in Nigeria  Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and International Women Communication Center (IWCC), under the UN Habitat World Urban Campaign have expressed readiness of collaboration to promote and strengthen the UN-Habitat intervention programmes and projects in Nigeria. Programmes, particularly in the area of socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities, implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG), and the New Urban Agenda would receive deserved attention. Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development,  Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo gave this assurance when he received a delegation from the International Women Communication Centre (IWCC), led by its Executive Director,  Dr. Hajiya Limoto Goroso Giwa on a courtesy visit to the Ministry,  Thursday,  April 18th, 2024 IWCC is a UN-Habitat stakeholder organization founded by a group of women rights activists with the mandate to  disiminate the implementation of the UN-Habitat agenda at the community level, protects and promotes women rights and carry out advocacy activities.  Gwarzo, in his remarks reiterated the primary mandate of the Ministry to provide adequate and affordable housing in both urban and rural areas in a secure, healthy and decent environment for all Nigerians, pointing out that it was also one of the cardinal focus of President Bola Ahmed  Tinubu's administration in actualizing the renewed hope agenda. He stated that the Ministry plans to bring the mandate to reality through multi-stakeholder and institutional engagements, alongside collaborations with both local and international development partners  " The Ministry is therefore a willing partner and ready to find mutually beneficial points of collaboration with your organization for the greater good of our country and citizens” he said  Accordingly, Gwarzo recalled the inauguration of the Habitat Advisory Committee in October 2022, stressing on their responsibilities to assess the progress and current status in the implementation the New Urban Agenda and related targets of SDGs and advise the Ministry on the way forward; to facilitate the preparation of the Voluntary National Report on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the related SDGs in Nigeria, among others.   Earlier the Executive Director of the IWCC Dr. Hajiya Limoto Goroso Giwa, expressed happiness that Nigeria is taking the lead in the UN-Habitat, being the chair of the executive board. She appealed to the Honourable Minister for Nigeria to host the 2024 Urban October and also as the UN-Habitat Executive Board Chair to support the delegation at the 12th  World Urban Forum which would be held in Cairo, Egypt. Dr Giwa also explained that the World Urban Forum which aims at accelerating the achievement of urbanization would this year focus on six focus areas namely: housing our future, cities and climate crisis, financing localization and localizing finance the issue of urban agenda, putting people first in a digital era, amongst others. The Executive Director also encouraged  Nigeria to take the lead in the African Regional Meeting coming up in Ethiopia and also at a high level meeting in New York on the 14th of July to discuss the SDG 9 and 11 which focuses on human settlement.   ...