DIGITALIZATION: HOUSING MINISTRY TRAINS STAFF ON USE OF OFFICIAL EMAIL ACCOUNT. In line with the ongoing digitalization in the Federal Civil Service, the department of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, has conducted a hybrid training program on the use and management of the newly created official email accounts for staff of the Ministry, for the purpose of official correspondences. In his address at the training program, the Permanent Secretary Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi noted that the use of  official email address in all official correspondence was a  directive of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and has become  an important gateway in the ongoing digitalization process in the civil service, pointing out that all communications with the Head of Service by directors and departments must be done using the official email address. He expressed optimism that with the way the digitalization plans are going, the official emails may soon be required to log into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System platform to make leave applications. On Performance Management System (PMS), the Permanent Secretary informed that the Directors and Heads of Departments, HoDs, would sign their performance contract with him soon, and sanctions would be meted out to the HoD,  that are not active on the official email address. Dr. Ogunbiyi urged the staff to execute tasks within their schedule to the best of their abilities as the ratings from their performances when evaluated  would contribute to their scores during promotions.  "we are commencing Performance Management System and any strikes gotten in the reporting year will affect your scores and ratings, and ultimately affect your promotion”, he notified. He strongly advised about the importance of the use of the official email address as well as visits to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS)  self portal, adding they would also form part of assessment for the PMS. The Permanent Secretary further encouraged the staff to visit the recently launched virtual learning platform by the Office of the Head of Service, to learn and take courses that will improve their careers. In his presentation, the Director in charge of the ICT department, Marcus Amiolemen, told the participants that the essence of the training was to ensure that  everybody knows how to effectively use the staff official email account created for the staff using their username. He explained that the creation of an official email address that is domain specific for government businesses was the  directive of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, adding the official email address gives the staff the ministry's identity. He informed that the URL of the official Email for the Ministry is https://mail.fmud.gov.ng/owa. or alternatively, through the staff email option on the menu bar of the Ministry’s web portal https://mhud.gov.ng. The Director educated the participants on the importance of the country’s identity which is .gov.ng, on the international gateway, adding that all official communications must use official emails that come with the domain name for identity purposes. On the security of email accounts, Amiolemen gave assurance that the accounts are fully secured as it is being managed by Galaxy Backbone, a company with a proven track record  in ICT in Nigeria, adding  the site is also designed to identify and filter unsolicited emails. Amiolemen, while informing the participants that a total of 520 official email addresses has been created for staff of the Ministry since the directive from the Head of Service sadly noted  that more than 75% of the email addresses were not yet in use. He warned that  the email accounts were designed to be  automatically deactivated and license retrieved  by Galaxy Backbone, the managers of the exchange platform, if not used within a period of 90 days.  Amiolemen also demonstrated practical steps through slides, on how to navigate the platform, while also appealing to the staff to visit the Ministry’s web portal so as to be kept abreast of happenings in the Ministry.   ...

Remarks by The Hon. Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, at The Ground-Breaking Ceremony For 250-Housing Unit Renewed Hope Estate in Akwa Ibom on Friday, June 28, 2024 Protocols Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, First, I would like to thank His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, for honoring our invitation to the groundbreaking of a 250-housing unit Renewed Hope Estate here in the state’s capital. Today’s ceremony is a continuation of the nationwide groundbreaking exercise for housing projects under the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, which His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, launched in February with the commissioning of a 3,112-housing unit in Karsana, Abuja. Under Phase One of this programme, we plan to deliver a total of 50,000 housing units across Nigeria. This includes 7 Renewed Hope Cities that will have between 500 and 1,000 housing units per site in each of the six geopolitical zones in the country and the FCT, while the Renewed Hope Estates will have 250 units per site in the remaining thirty (30) states. With this housing programme, we plan to unlock the massive potential of housing development to create jobs, uplift lives, and boost economic development. This is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President to STIMULATE INCLUSIVE GROWTH, LIFT 100 MILLION NIGERIANS OUT OF POVERTY, AND BUILD A $1 TRILLION ECONOMY. As you may recall, last month, following the presidential flag-off of the programme in Abuja, we embarked on the first leg of this exercise with the groundbreaking of 1,500 housing units in the northern part of Nigeria. This includes 250-housing unit Renewed Hope Estates, one each in Katsina, Yobe, Gombe, and Sokoto, and a 500-housing unit Renewed Hope City in Kano. Work is currently ongoing at each of these sites, and our plan is to have all of them completed within the next couple of months and made available to Nigerians in line with Mr. President’s desire to provide quality housing for all Nigerians. UNDER THE RENEWED HOPE AGENDA, WE ARE IMPLEMENTING A ZERO TOLERANCE FOR UNCOMPLETED PROJECTS. This second leg will see us break ground for a total of 2,000 Renewed Hope Housing Units across eight (8) states in the South and North Central. We started on Wednesday with 250 units in Ebonyi; yesterday, we were in Abia for another 250 units, and today we are happy to be here in Akwa Ibom to flag off another 250 units. From here, we will proceed to Delta, Osun, Oyo, Benue, and Nasarawa states for 250 housing units in each of these states. Our plan is to turn Nigeria into a huge construction site. This estate comprises 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. We have designed these housing units in a way that makes them affordable for people to acquire by using organic designs to allow for future expansion as the income of beneficiaries increases. This means that a 1-bedroom unit can be expanded to 2 bedrooms, and a 2-bedroom unit can also be expanded to 3 bedrooms as the owner’s financial situation improves or their family grows. As we break ground on this project, I want to charge the developers, Messrs Trust Global Ltd, Springwell Intercontinental Resources, and Hyousungs Ltd, to ensure that they build according to specifications. I want to emphasize in very strong terms that we will not tolerate substandard work from any developer, and we will explore all necessary legal means, including EFCC, to ensure that they deliver as per the contract. If you collect government money, you must do the work. We also want the developers to adhere to the timeline and finish within three months so that we can begin the process of getting Akwa Ibom indigenes to purchase and move in. To ensure affordability, 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 that beneficiaries can repay over 30 years, rent-to-own schemes provided by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, and outright purchase options for those who can afford to pay upfront. Statistics show that the construction of one housing unit creates an average of 25 direct and indirect jobs. So, for these 250 housing units in Akwa Ibom, we hope to create jobs for over 6,500 people in various trades, from professionals like architects, civil engineers, and mechanical engineers to masons, plumbers, tilers, electricians, and laborers. We have seen unskilled workers at sites earning as much as N35,000 per week, at an average of N5,000 per day. This amounts to about N140,000 per month. This is in addition to the economic activities, including those selling food, supplying blocks, and providing building materials. The value chain effect of construction work on this site is significant and creates a positive economic impact. I want to state that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, we at the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development are very particular about giving Nigerians value for money. We are diligently funding these projects from the N50 billion 2023 Supplementary Budget that Mr. President approved for the Ministry to ensure sustainability, quality, and geographic spread. It is important to say that the provision of land in a good location and at no cost is a key condition for siting Renewed Hope Housing Projects. The twelve states covered under this 2023 supplementary budget are those that first provided land. I want to assure that states that have not been covered will be included in the Ministry’s 2024 Budget on a first-come, first-served basis, on the condition that they provide land at no cost to enhance affordability. At this juncture, I want to appreciate and thank His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, for promptly granting our request for the provision of land at no cost. This singular action has helped us 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. 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 ceremonies for these projects demonstrate that Mr. President and indeed the Federal Government of Nigeria are committed to fulfilling promises and responsibilities to all Nigerians. Long live Akwa Ibom and His Excellency, the Executive Governor. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Long live Mr. President.   Rephrase with Ginger (Ctrl+Alt+E) ...

Abia Governor, Otti Appreciates FG for Renewed Hope Housing  Estate   ... says Abians are wonderfully grateful for the gift  * Construction of Federal Secretartariat in Abia also approaved - Dangiwa    Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti has expressed the gratitude of his State for the 250 housing units the Federal government brought to the State under it's Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme    He said " Abia state is wonderfully grateful for the gift of the houses "   The Governor made this statement during the groundbreaking of 250 Renewed Hope Housing Estate at Bende Local Government Area, near Umuahia, the Capital City of Abia State, Thursday,  June 27th, 2024.   The Federal Government through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is building 50,000 housing units under phase one of its Renewed Hope Housing Cities and Estates Programme across the nation.   A groundbreaking and foundation laying for the construction of 250 Renewed Hope Estate was performed by the Governor along side Minister of Housing and Urban Development,  Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa.    Governor Otti, who spoke through his deputy , Engr Ikechukwu Emetu commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the commitment of Minister Ahmed Dangiwa for the housing initiative    " This is what a responsible government is supposed to do and we are seeing it now under the present government" he added  Minister Dangiwa told the developers of the  Renewed Hope Estate project across the country to ensure completion of the project  within three months stipulated period to enable Nigerians in the respective states occupy the houses as quickly as possible.   The ground-breaking event in Abia State was a follow up of Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in February 2024.   The second round of groundbreaking covers eight states in the South and North-Central zones of the country, namely; Ebonyi, Abia,  Akwa Ibom, Delta, Osun, Oyo, Benue and Nasarawa State, each comprising 250 housing units, and making a total of 2,000 units in the round.   Dangiwa said “ By the end of this second round, we would have broken ground for a total of 6,612 housing units across the country since February this year, creating direct and indirect jobs for over 165,000 at an average of 25 jobs per unit"    The 250 housing units in Abia, just like in each of the states, will consist 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.   On the sales for the houses, the minister said “We have created different options to enable everyone who has a source of income and livelihood to own these homes when they are completed"    He listed the options to include; single-digit mortgage loans that beneficiaries can repay over 30 years; rent-to-own schemes provided by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, and outright purchase options for those who can afford to pay upfront.    The housing units were  designed in a way that makes them affordable by using organic designs to allow for future expansion as the income of beneficiaries increases.    A 1-bedroom unit is expandable to 2 bedrooms and a 2-bedroom unit can also be expanded to 3 bedrooms as the owner’s financial situation improves or their family grows. Accordingly,  the Minister disclosed that the 12 Renewed Hope Estates flagged off so far are being funded under the N50 billion 2023 Supplementary Budget approved by the President for the projects.   Similarly, he also assured that states not captured in the 2023 Supplementary Budget will be included in the Ministry’s 2024 Budget, urging other state governors to provide land needed to implement the project in their states.   ...