Opening Remarks by The Hon. Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, Outgoing Bureau Chair of The 42nd AGM, at The 43rd Annual General Meeting of Shelter Afrique Development Bank (SHAFDB) on Tuesday 11th June 2024 Holding At The Marriott Hotel In Kigali, Rwanda

Protocols:

Esteemed Guests, Honored Delegates, and Colleagues, all protocols observed,

1.    It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the Shelter Afrique Development Bank’s 43rd Annual General Meeting holding here in Kigali, the Capital of Rwanda. 

2.    I am especially delighted to finally see so many of you, for the first time in person. Your presence here today and in the coming days demonstrates a commitment to the growth of this bank. 

3.    ShafDB is Africa’s housing finance bank, the only such institution that we have. It is therefore important that we all continue to give the bank all the support that it requires to grow, scale in impact and deliver on its mandate. Particularly, this support, I believe, is critical to our efforts as Ministers of Housing to leverage private sector finance towards providing affordable, decent and quality housing to our people across Africa.

4.    Before I go on, I would like to on behalf of the 42nd AGM Bureau and the Management of ShafDB, sincerely thank the President of the Republic of Rwanda, His Excellency, Paul Kagame, and the Government of Rwanda for agreeing to host this 43rd AGM. The beauty, neatness and orderliness of Kigali and its hospitality is simply breathtaking. 

5.    I would also like to extend my profound gratitude to the ShafDB Board of Directors under the leadership of Dr. Chii Akporji for their support throughout my tenure as Chairperson of the 42nd AGM Bureau. With their support, we were able to accomplish great milestones and guide the bank towards a path of clarity and reform. 

6.    I must also acknowledge the exceptional efforts, drive and dynamism of our Managing Director, Thierno Habib Hann. Over the course of my time as AGM Bureau Chair, I have seen Mr. Hann demonstrate an untiring dedication, innovation and leadership that I believe is necessary to achieving the goals of a transformed ShafDB. 

7.    I want to acknowledge and commend the contributions of ShafDB management and staff. Their collective efforts contributed significantly to the successful transition from Shelter Afrique to Shelter Afrique Development Bank. To all of you, I extend my deepest appreciation.

8.    I am pleased to inform you that during the Extraordinary General Assembly in Algiers, member States overwhelmingly supported the ratification of our new statutes. This consensus is a significant milestone in our journey to establish the Shelter Afrique Development Bank. Our discussions went beyond words. We recorded concrete measures to expedite the ratification process. It is important that we foster transparent dialogue about our current state and identify additional steps to enhance our progress.

9.    Although we anticipated completing the ratification process within a few months, we find ourselves still awaiting full ratification. As of yesterday, only a few countries had ratified the Statutes. This situation poses challenges that we must quickly address. 

10.    Building robust alliances is essential for our success. I thank all member States for their financial contributions and support. I am proud to report that our Bank recorded a profit last year, a feat that was once considered impossible. 

11.    Looking ahead, it is important that we sustain and maintain a momentum of growth. I am optimistic and anticipate that the new Chair of 43rd AGM Bureau, Hon. Dr. Jimmy Gasore, possesses the capacity to effectively guide this revitalization process. 

12.    Our financial report highlights our unique assets, which position us for global success. The key question is how we can best leverage these resources to benefit our member States. On this too, I am confident that the new leadership will provide the management with the support they require to maximize impact. 

13.    During the course of the AGM, we plan to launch a Financial Caucus of African Ministers of Housing and Urban Development. I believe that this platform will help us create synergy, tap from our collective and unique strengths to fashion out innovative ways and measures to bolster housing development in our respective countries. 

14.    Like I said at the EGM in Algiers, the African housing problem is for Africa to solve. And we as Ministers of Housing must recognize that we are the ones responsible to providing the solutions and driving the process towards fixing Africa’s housing challenge. What this means is that we must work together. We must share experiences, challenges, lessons and solutions. We must combine efforts in our engagements with external stakeholders and maximize our engagements. We must seek to tap the immense benefits that come from working as a unified group towards solving the African housing problem. Working in silos is no longer an option. This is because as Africans, we are one. We have a common continent; we have a common destiny, and our progress or backwardness reflects on us all. 

15.    At the end of this AGM, we also plan to have a Kigali Declaration to signify and communicate our collective desire to Prioritize housing development and commit to taking concrete steps towards making a substantial difference. The Kigali Declaration aims to unify our voices to achieve common goals and tackle shared challenges. It seeks to highlight to the global community the urgent need for coordinated action on climate change, emphasizing its impact on Africa.  

16.    It is important to state that the Kigali Declaration will not just be words on paper. We have ensured that it is based on a well-prepared roadmap for "How to Finance and Deliver," leveraging the professional expertise around Shelter Afrique Development Bank. Our aim is to make a difference. Our aim is to create impact and build a new and more progressive narrative that delivers concrete results in terms of homes for our people, jobs and economic empowerment. And this, I believe is possible. 

17.    Importantly, with the existential threat of climate change, the housing industry serves a key lever to achieve the climate ambition and sustainability targets of the region.

18.    As we deliberate during this AGM, I implore us to always strive for compromise and ensuring a commitment to upholding the laws and statutes that hold us together. As a big organization with shareholding of over 44 independent and sovereign countries, we must all commit to staying within the boundaries of what the laws state. 

19.    Before I conclude, I want to express my gratitude to all those who continue to participate in our collaborative efforts, despite occasional disagreements about our direction. Your commitment strengthens us and propels us forward.

20.    Our achievements over the past year underscore the importance of strategic planning and building strong connections. Perseverance through challenges and setbacks is crucial. This year, we have reached several objectives we can be proud of.

21.    Despite our successes, we must remain vigilant and not rest on our laurels. New and existing challenges will continue to emerge. It is vital to sustain our current relationships and cultivate new ones.

22.    Regardless of the decisions we make, I am confident that we will make them together, as a united body.

Thank you.
Honorable Minister Arch. Ahmed Dangiwa

Remarks By The Hon. Minister of Housing and Urban Development Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, Represented by the Hon. Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Engr. Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, at the Launch of The 250-Housing Unit Renewed Hope Estate in Yobe On Friday, May 24th  2024

Protocols

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.    First, I would like to thank His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni CON, for honoring our invitation to be a part of today’s event. 

2.    I am very excited to be here as the Hon. Minister of State representing the Hon. Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa to perform the groundbreaking for a 250-housing unit Renewed Hope Estate. 

3.    The Renewed Hope Estate in Yobe comprises of 50 units of 1-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, 150 units of 2-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, and 50 units of 3-bedroom semi-detached bungalows.

4.    We have designed these housing units in a way that makes it easy and affordable for people to offtake. We have used organic designs to allow for future expansion as the income of beneficiaries increases. What this means is that the 1-bedroom can be expanded to 2 bedrooms and a 2-bedroom expandable to 3 bedrooms as the owner’s financial situation improves or he grows in service. 

5.    As we break the ground on this project, I want to charge the developers, Messrs. Katalyst Dynamics & Contracting Co. Ltd, Jikantiti Nigeria Limited, MB Yalwa Contractors Ltd, and 2 Horses Ventures Limited to ensure that they build according to specifications. I expect you to deliver a quality job because we will not tolerate substandard. We also want you to have this work finished within the next three months so that we can begin the process of getting Yobe indigenes to purchase and move in. 

6.    We have created different options to enable everyone who has a source of income and livelihood to own these homes when they are completed. These include single-digit mortgage loans with up to 30-year terms provided by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Rent-to-Own schemes, and Outright Purchase options for those who can afford to pay upfront. 

7.    I want to state that today's groundbreaking event is part of a larger vision of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, when he launched the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates project with a 3,112-housing unit project in Karsana, Abuja, earlier this year.

8.    Under Phase One, we plan to deliver a total of 50,000 housing units across Nigeria. The cities will have between 500 - 1,000 housing units per site in one location in each of the six geopolitical zones in the country and the FCT, while the estates will have 250 units per site in the remaining thirty (30) states. 

9.    With this housing programme, we plan to unlock the massive potential of housing development to create jobs, uplift lives and boost economic development. Statistics show that construction of one housing unit creates an average of 25 direct and indirect jobs. So, for these 250 housing units we are hoping to create jobs for over 6,500 people. This is besides the economic activities including persons selling food, supplying blocks, building materials and the likes. The value chain effect is big and creates positive economic impact. 

10.    Nationwide, we currently have estates in 12 States and Cities in 3 States. The estates are sited in Katsina, Yobe, Gombe, Abia, Nasarawa, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Sokoto, Oyo, and Osun. The cities are in Abuja, Kano and Lagos. 

11.    This exercise started on Wednesday with the groundbreaking for a 250-housing unit Renewed Hope Estate in Katsina, followed by the groundbreaking for a 500-housing unit Renewed Hope City in Kano yesterday. After here, we will be proceeding to Gombe for the groundbreaking of a 250-housing unit Renewed Hope Estate. In total, we are breaking ground for 1,250 housing units across four states in Northern Nigeria. 

12.    Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, we are particular about giving Nigerians value for money. The funding for these projects come from the N50 billion 2023 Supplementary Budget of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. We have already awarded contracts for 3,500 housing units in those 13 States. States that have not been covered under the 2023 Supplementary Budget will be included in the 2024 Budget, and I urge all State Governments who are yet to provide land for these projects to do so promptly.

13.    At this juncture, I also want to appreciate and thank His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Yobe State, His Excellency Mai Mala Buni CON for promptly granting our request for the provision of land at no cost. This singular action has helped us to reduce as much as 30% of the cost of the units in this Estate for the benefit of potential homeowners. This is a dividend of responsible governance and I applaud Your Excellency for this. 

14.    Before I close my remarks, I want to thank and appreciate our President for providing the vision and the political will necessary for us to make a difference in terms of delivering decent and quality housing to Nigerians. The Groundbreaking ceremony today in Yobe state and tomorrow in Gombe state is a testament that Mr. President and indeed the Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to fulfilling promises and responsibilities to all Nigerians.

Long live Yobe and His Excellency, the Executive Governor.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Long live Mr. President.