Dangiwa Charges Housing Agencies on Performance towards Achieving Ministerial Mandate    ... We would deliver our ministerial deliverables to make housing ministry proud - MDs FHA, FMBN   Minister of Housing and Urban Development  Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has charged the leadership of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and Federal Housing Authority (FHA) to be more creative and innovative in order to achieve their ministerial mandate    Dangiwa gave the charge during the formal performance review meeting with the Management Teams of the agencies; the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA)   The performance review meeting was aimed at enhancing performance in achieving the mandate of the ministry as it relates its ministerial deliveries inline with the performance contract agreement.     At the review meeting, the leadership of the FMBN and FHA presented their ministerial deliverables in line with the Performance Management System reform of the Office of the Head of the Service of the Federation and will be signing the Performance Contract with the Minister.   Minister Dangiwa recalled the charge he gave the two agencies upon their appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier this year to be creative,  innovative as well as transformative in order to enhance their performances.   The FHA was charged to come up with innovative ideas, explore avenues to source funds that could help them deliver millions of housing units in the next 50 years as against the 50,000 it has provided over the past 50 years.   Similarly, the FHA was charged to go to the capital market, issue bonds and raise funds to deliver mass housing project nationwide, as well as market the houses, thereafter repay the loans and also declare profit.   He warned that lack of funds would not be an excuse fior FHA not to meet up on its ministerial deliverables, advising that they visit the FMBN and leverage on inter-agency collaboration for construction loan.   To the FMBN, the Minister reminded the team of his emphasis on innovation and transformation, saying that the bank must lead a new era of massive housing development and delivery, notwithstanding the challenging times of high construction costs and lower incomes; “This requires a radically new mindset, thinking outside the box, and identifying the opportunities these challenges present”, he stated    On ongoing projects handled by the FMBN, Dangiwa gave a warning that the ministry will not tolerate abandoned and uncompleted projects, while seeking for approval for the new ones.   "Better know that we will not allow you to create more projects without completing the existing ones," he said    Dangiwa emphasised that the completion of abandoned project is key to the bank's accomplishment, noting " when you complete them, invite us to commission them they will add to your deliverables."   The Minister stated his expectation for FMBN to push strongly for legislative amendments to relevant housing industry laws, including the National Housing Fund (NHF) Act, 1992, and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) Establishment Act, 1993.   He also urged the team to work on the long overdue digitalization of its entire product and service portfolio, pointing out that the world is in an era where Nigerians should be able to register and subscribe to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme, and apply for FMBN products such as home renovation loans and individual construction loans.   While acknowledging the current inflation in the country, the minister advised the housing agencies  to rescope their buildings by leaving out the non essentials fittings like tilling and PoP as it will not only save cost but make them affordable for Nigerians to buy. Accordingly,  the Minister expressed readiness in providing the necessary leadership to help the agencies achieve their mandates, this according to him was demonstrated when he spoke to the leadership of Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) to meet the agencies in order to explore partnership opportunities and funding sources.   Dangiwa further itemized the targets set for the both agencies, for the FMBN: the delivery at least 5,000 new homes annually, with a significant portion through the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, disbursement of mortgage loans to at least 20,000 Nigerians annually, requiring quicker turnaround times and more efficient customer service, increase in National Housing Fund (NHF) collection by expanding the subscription net to include more Nigerians.   Others are speedy roll out of the Diaspora Mortgage Scheme to facilitate an increase in NHF collection and provide more houses to Nigerians and Maintenance of an up-to-date audited accounts and corporate stability to facilitate fruitful cooperation with financing institutions like Shelter Afrique Development Bank   And for the FHA, demonstration of more flexibility and innovation in operations, obtaining more funding from the capital market by issuing bonds to deliver mass housing projects across the country, market them, repay the loans, and declare profit, delivery of a minimum of 5,000 houses annually to Nigerians.   Other targets for the FHA are to make judicious use of its license to operate across all income segments in the government's broad strategy to deliver housing to Nigerians, as well as taking advantage of its status as an agency without budgetary allocations to be inventive, partnering with credible investors and local and international financing partners to deliver more houses to Nigerians.   Knowing the importance of ministerial deliverables in relation to the performance contract, the Mnister later directed the Planning, Research and Statistics department, PRS, of the ministry to engage the agencies on a quarterly basis so as to ensure they are not deviating from their ministerial deliverables.   He also mandated the Central Delivery Coordinating Unit (CDCU) of the ministry to meet with FHA team in order to guide them so that they will know what is expected of them before the signing of the Performance Contract.     “The Ministry will keep track and monitor your progress on a year-to-year basis; your KPIs are the only things that matter because we have a responsibility to Nigerians, and we cannot afford to fail”, he stated   Presentating his agency's deliverables, the MD, Federal Housing Authority, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, noted that FHA has an ongoing direct construction of 336 housing units and one office at the Bwari Area Council of the FCT, as well as 820 housing projects under a private public partnership (PPP) and direct construction, at the Apo/Guzape area of the FCT, informing that the agency would be ready to commission about 1000 houses by December, 2024.   He also spoke about the deployment and operationalization of Enterprise Content Management System (ECM), informing that there are 350 staff with licensed access to ECM, and 50 staff being provided with official laptops.   On his part, the MD FMBN, Alh Shehu Usma Osidi, enumerated some of the targets and deliverables of the bank, saying that the bank has delivered 810 and 741 housing units respectively, for the first and second quarters of year 2024 out of the quarterly target of 1,800 units. He also stated that the Bank intends to complete ongoing projects simultaneously with new ones in the third quarter.   Alhaji Osidi further mentioned other deliverables to include; 3,674 persons benefitting from the mortgage loans, establishment a National  Mortgage Registry and the commencement of the digitalization of the bank's products.   The Managing Directors FMBN and FHA,  Dr.Usman Shehu Osidi and Hon Oyetunji Ojo, respectively, assured  the Minister of doing their utmost best to deliver on their mandates and ministerial deliverables, saying they will make him proud. ...

Housing Ministry Will Ensure Disability Friendly Buildings, Compliance  - Dangiwa    The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has assured that it is mindful of all the relevant sections in the provisions of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 that ensures the rights to accessible structures for persons with disabilities.   Minister of Housing and Urban Development Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa gave this assurance when a delegation from National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) paid him a courtesy visit.   He acknowledged that housing was key to human development as well as a human right to all Nigerians as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and as such the Ministry was mindful of all the provisions in the Act establishing the Commission in ensuring that houses being delivered were mindful of the Accessibility Act or Regulations in the document.   “We are glad that you brought the document to us today, we will henceforth look at it to ensure that our houses are very much affordable, accessible and acceptable to the commission”, he said.    He informed that the Housing Ministry being one of the first few Ministries that has adopted the regulations in the document, has started the implementation with actions such as the addition of a ramp at the entrance of the Ministry to enable easy access to people with disabilities and the installation of an elevator to assist staff and visitors within this category access offices upstairs.   On section 7  of the Act which mandated that Persons With Disabilities should be first considered in accessibility to houses constructed by government, Dangiwa assured the commission that his ministry would comply, emphasising that maximum  scrutiny of building plans would be done before approval of building plan to certify provision of accessibility facilities are incorporated.   Accordingly, the Minister stated that the ministry is mindful of the penalty against defaulting any of  the regulations.   The Minister further explained that the ministry has demonstrated it in its public buildings by making sure all the federal secretariat buildings Nationwide being managed by the Ministry are fully equipped with accessibility facilities.   He noted that among the plans rolled out for all Nigerians including the persons with disabilities under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu include groundbreaking for the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates program in 13 states and FCT.   To this end, he disclosed that the housing units being built under the program are made affordable, accessible and acceptable to Nigerians through ownership options such as outright purchase, installmental payment, mortgage and rent-to-own, to which the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) provides a single digit interest rates to run for thirty years.     The Minister further explained  that the houses are being built organically to allow owners build  more rooms as their income or family increases.   In the area of urban renewal, Dangiwa also notified the delegation that the National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade has been flagged off in twenty eight sites, four sites each in each geopolitical zone and the FCT, respectively. “This entails accessible roads, drainages, water supply, sanitation and solar street lights to some of the identified slum areas”, he explained.   Accordingly, Minister Dangiwa told the team that the Ministry is also pursuing the establishment of National Social Housing Fund (NSHF) for the provision of accessible housing to all Nigerians,  targeting  the low and no income, underprivileged as well as the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).   “We want to ensure that we have a minimum of 100 houses in the 774 local governments Nationwide where the underprivileged, IDPs as well as the no income have access to affordable housing”, he said.   The Minister also added that the Ministry has commenced the sale of houses built  under the National Housing Program through advertisements,  assuring the delegation  the Ministry would avail them with the location of the housing units for accessibility.   He commended the presentation of the document containing the provisions of the discrimination against persons with disabilities prohibition act of 2018, assuring that it would be passed across to the design department to ensure further compliance with the regulations.   Speaking earlier,  Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons Living with Disabilities and  leader of  the delegation, James David Lalu, PhD, made an appeal for  the ministry to consider Persons Living with Disabilities in Renewed Hope Housing Estates as it would enable them own a home of their own.   While stating some of the relevant provisions of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 that ensure the rights to accessible  structures for persons with disabilities, Lalu appealed for compliance to ensure that houses for its members include necessary adjustments to accommodate their disabilities.   "The regulation is what the persons living with disabilities want to see in the public buildings," adding "all the necessary specifications, designs, accessibility facility to be fitted in the public buildings so that our people will have have access to public building," he spoke passionately.   ...

Housing Ministry, World Bank Collaborate on National Land Documentation, Titling Programme.   *  move can unlock $300 Billion in Dead Capital * Sues for establishment of National Land Commission to operationalise Land Use Act   The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has announced plans to partner with the World Bank Group towards conducting a National Land Documentation and Titling Programme in the country.   Speaking at the Workshop Nigerian Livable Cities organised by the Ministry in collaboration with the World Bank, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, said the move has become necessary to explore the potential of land as an economic asset which is yet to be fully tapped by the country.   The event, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, was aimed at fostering understanding and mapping out modalities towards the successful implementation of the World Bank’s Urban Livability and Mobility programme in Nigeria.    "It is a comprehensive initiative that encompasses sub-programs that are very important to us. This includes housing and land management, urban services delivery, climate change action, urban management and finance, and transportation," Dangiwa noted.   In the area of land, he deferred to statistics which show that less than 10% of land in Nigeria is registered and has titles. "As a result, landowners cannot easily leverage land as an economic asset. This is sad and unfortunate. As part of our land reforms we are exploring a partnership with the World Bank towards the implementation of a National Land Registration and Titling Programme.   "Through this programme, we aim to partner with State Governments towards improving land formalisation from less than 10% to 50% in the next ten years. This is critical to unlocking over $300bn in dead capital. We have already worked on a draft framework for the programme and I have directed the Ministry’s focal persons and Consultant to share with the World Bank Group so we can begin the process towards adoption and implementation," he said.   He added that the programme is an  important component in the Ministry's land reforms strategy and will complement the Ministry’s plans to set up a National Land Commission to operationalize the Land Use Act.   The Nigeria Urban Livability and Mobility Programmatic Analytics and Advisory Services (ULM PASA) was launched by the World Bank to provide the Federal and State governments with technical support to improve the design and implementation of development policies and programs in selected Nigerian cities to enhance their livability, competitiveness and resilience.   To this end, the Minister said "the workshop provides a platform to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and forge partnerships that will propel our cities towards sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth. We must harness the power of collaboration and leverage the expertise and experience of the World Bank to develop innovative solutions that address the multifaceted problems facing our cities."   Dangiwa took out time to reel out the efforts of the Federal Government towards developing livable and sustainable cities, including the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme which aims to deliver 50,000 housing units in the first phase.    He explained "Our cities, once strongholds of economic growth and social progress, are now grappling with an array of complexities: rapid urbanization, infrastructure deficits, environmental degradation, climate change, housing deficit, poor service delivery and social inequality. These challenges, while daunting, also present immense opportunities for innovation and transformation.   Accordingly, the Minister stated also that establishing new cities and estates provides an opportunity for deliberate planning and designing of urban spaces that are not only beautiful in addition to landscape, but also promote efficiency and sustainability.   Stating further " This is more so given the climate challenges that we face in ensuring that the housing sector contributes its quota to helping our country meet its green gas reduction targets. At the Ministry, we believe that implementing green building techniques, efficient waste management, and creating green spaces can contribute to a healthier and more environmentally friendly urban landscape”.   The World Bank Task Team Leader, Fuad Malkawi, presented the preliminary findings of the World Bank analytical review of Nigerian cities which he said were at the risk of disaster exposure due to inadequate infrastructure and basic social services as a result of rapid growth.   The workshop had two panel discussion sessions on; key priorities of state governments to improve Urban Livability and on Institutional Constrains to Improving Urban Livability. Participants at the workshop include states' commissioners and senior government officials responsible for lands, environment and housing matters.   States that attended the workshop were; Anambra, Abia, Edo, Kaduna. Kano,  Lagos, Oyo, Rivers and Plateau    The main objective was helping Nigerian cities to become more livable through collaborative deliberation on key urban policies, challenges, and institutional barriers hindering the effective implementation of urban development programs at the state and city levels.   Recommendations presented at the end of the workshop include; addressing the challenges of inaccurate data, reducing pressure on existing services due to rapid urban growth through adequate urban planning, controlling development along flood plains, developing programmes in line with government policies to drive urban livability, investing in climate smart infrastructure and services through prioritization process, and facilitating the review of the Land Use Act 1978 (1999 as amended).   Others are the development of a Drainage Master Plan for flood control, and a National Urban Programme to operationalize the National Urban Development Policy, the creation of City Administrations by State Governments backed by political will and Legal framework and improving their roles in service delivery, as well as integrating disaster resilience and early warning systems with State development plans, among others. ...