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.   ...

HOUSING MINISTRY COMMENCES ALLOCATION FOR THE SALE OF HOUSES UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING PROGRAMME The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has concluded the allocation for the first batch of completed houses across the states of the Federation, for successful applicants under the National Housing Programme (NHP). This was contained in a Press statement on Monday by the office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi. In the release, the Permanent Secretary stated that the first batch of the allocation process was concluded after a review of the conditions and procedures for sales of houses under the National Housing Programme (NHP) as conveyed in a circular with Ref. No. DPBH/645/1/643 from the Ministry on the 29th of December, 2023. He disclosed that out of a total of 8925 applications that were received, 1294 were for Outright payment, 2408 for Mortgage, 2184 for Rent to own and 3039 were for installmental payment modes. Ogunbiyi  informed the general public that the offer of New Provisional Allocation Letters for the first batch of successful applicants under the Outright Payment mode are now ready, adding that the successful subscribers would be contacted by the Federal Controllers of Housing and Urban Development in the states as well as the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) as from Thursday 18 April, 2024 for collection. “Applicants under the Mortgage, Rent to own and Installmental payment modes who should be subscribers to the National Housing Fund (NHF) are presently undergoing profiling”, he added. The Permanent Secretary however noted that there are no completed houses in Abia, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers States and the FCT; “Allocation of houses in these states will be done upon the completion of the housing units later in the year”, he stated. ...

Nigeria Emerges Chair of UN-HABITAT Executive Board …. We would accomplish the mission - Gwarzo Nigeria has emerged the chair of the executive board of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) The confirmation of Nigeria as chair of the board was made known during a meeting with the UN-Habitat office and the Ministry of Housing  and Urban Development in Abuja., Thursday,  April 4, 2024. The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo has on behalf of the Nigerian Government and the Housing Ministry accepted the position, assuring that Nigeria would accomplish the mission. Gwarzo lauded the UN-Habitat and the African Group for the confidence reposed in Nigeria’s quality leadership caused by her continuous commitment and exemplary role in the implementation of the African Urban Agenda (AUA) and the 2030 Agenda in the continent, assuring Nigeria’s commitment towards the achievement of the mandate of UN-Habitat. The Minister was delighted to aknowledge a notable milestone achieved in the human settlement sector in Nigeria since the establishment of the UN-Habitat Program support office in 2003, saying that it was the result of the robust collaboration between the UN-Habitat and the Federal Government of Nigeria. Accordingly, Gwarzo reiterated the commitment of the Ministry to execute its primary mandate of providing affordable housing in a secure, healthy and decent environment of both urban and rural areas for Nigerians, saying that the partnership with the UN-Habitat would ensure achieving the maximum results. The Minister also revealed the intention of the Ministry of housing to actualize its mandate through multi-stakeholder and institutional engagements as well as effective collaborations.  “ In this wise, UN-Habitat remains a critical partner. We therefore seek more of UN-Habitat's collaboration in realizing this vision and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda vision for housing and urban development in Nigeria, aimed at improving the living conditions of Nigerians through Urban Renewal and the development of New Towns”  he stated  Im the same vain,  Gwarzo further expressed hope that the continuous funding support for the UN-Habitat Programme Support Office (UN-HAPSO) in Nigeria would further strengthen the existing cordial relationship between the two parties and as well reposition the office to adequately play its role of rendering technical support services to Housing and Urban Development sector stakeholders in the country both at the National and sub-national levels. “We equally look forward to early commencement and successful implementation of the Work-plan of the extant MoU which is geared towards a more robust human settlements development in the country"  he added. Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the UN-Habitat delegation, Mathias Spaliviero felicitated with the Minister for the  appointment of Nigeria as the chair of the executive board of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and formally presented the appointment letter to the Minister of State. Spaliviero explained that the executive board is a board that comprises 40-50 member states, saddled with taking decisions, accessing UN-Habitat progress according to the strategic plan, as well as making recommendations. Spaliviero disclosed that UN-Habitat provided technical support for the National Urban Development policy and also expressed commitment to further support until the policy is approved. He used the opportunity to invite the Honorable Minister to the World Urban Forum to take place in Cairo between the 4th and 8th of November, 2024. ...