Dangiwa Meets Group of African Members of the UN Habitat Executive Board · Says Nigeria’s Chairmanship will Ensure Strategic Direction for UN Habitat, etc Nairobi, Kenya - On May 7th, 2024, the Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development and Chair of the UN-Habitat Executive Board, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, engaged in a critical meeting with the Africa Group, representing 10 countries, on the sidelines of the first session of the 2024 UN-Habitat Executive Board Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. At the meeting, Arc. Dangiwa outlined the key priorities for Nigeria's leadership of the Executive Board, as identified during the recent Retreat of the Regional Group of African States in Naivasha, Kenya. These priorities include: 1. Promoting increased strategic direction for UN-Habitat by promoting the balance between the organisation’s Mandate, the available global opportunities as well as within the United Nations Wide System and the quest for increased Resources. 2. Regular and ongoing caucusing for the benefit of the continent. Under this, he said Nigeria will call for a Ministerial Caucus, and subsidiary technical fora of the Africa Group on Human Settlements in line with the African Union Specialised Technical Committee On Public Service, Local Government, Urban Development And Decentralisation (AU-STC 8). 3. Enhanced global collaboration and engagement. He noted that Nigeria will also be working towards increased global collaboration through engagement both in consultation with Nairobi based delegations and Capitals. This will include engagements with stakeholders from other regions. Nigeria will also be calling for a platform for Ministerial Collaboration of Members of the Executive Board and would be glad to drive the agenda through the Africa Group. 4. Strengthened due diligence to maximize benefits and protect the organization's mandate. He noted that Nigeria commits to enhancing due diligence to UN-Habitat activities to ensure that the continent achieves increased benefits for its engagement within UN-Habitat in particular and the UN system in general, as well as to protect the organization from possible erosion of its mandate. Furthermore, the Honourable Minister highlighted additional continental priorities, including the celebration of UN-Habitat's 50th anniversary, the development of a new strategic plan, and the promotion of African-grown initiatives. Arc. Dangiwa expressed gratitude to Her Excellency Dr. Vivian Nain Kuma of Cameroon, Chair of the Africa Group, for convening the meeting, and expressed appreciation to all attending delegations for their commitment to the cause. He emphasized the importance of sustained and purposeful engagement in matters of human settlements, acknowledging the pivotal role played by the Africa Group in advocating for the continent's interests. Dr. Vivian Nain Kuma, in her response, congratulated Nigeria and the Hon. Minister for assuming the position of Chair of UN-Habitat as Africa’s representative. She pledged, on behalf of members of the Group, that they will work to support his agenda and ensure the success of his tenure as Chair. She encouraged the Hon. Minister to champion strategic collaboration with the Shelter Afrique Development as part of efforts to raise concessional finance to solve the continent’s housing and urban development challenges. The meeting featured a presentation by the Managing Director of Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB), Mr. Thierno-Habib Hann, who spoke on the need for strategic collaboration between the institution and UN-Habitat, especially since they share similar objectives and a unique Board leadership under Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa. Such a partnership, he said, will help unlock concessional funding necessary to meet the continent’s housing and urban development needs.
Dangiwa Reassures Committment to Delivery of Quality, Affordable Houses to All Nigerians Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has further given reassurance that the federal government through the Ministry would deliver quality and affordable houses to all categories of Nigerians. "Access to affordable housing by Nigerians is a fundamental human right as mentioned by President Tinubu during the ground breaking of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates at Karsana, Abuja on February 8, 2024" he stated The Minister spoke during a meeting with members of the Renewed Hope Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited on a visit to his office. Dangiwa expressed readiness of his ministry to partner with the Renewed Hope Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited in order to ensure provision of affordable houses for its members. He commended the effort by the leadership of the cooperative society for rising up to make their members proud home owners in Nigeria. " Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, we are committed to providing quality housing for all Nigerians, as such we are willing to work, collaborate, support and encourage organised groups such as the Renewed Hope Cooperative Society to help their members become homeowners." he added. While assuring the Cooperative Society that the Ministry will provide all necessary support to make it possible for them to own houses, he explained that 50,000 housing units would be built nationwide under phase one of the Renewd Hope Cities and Estates Project flagged off by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He encouraged the members to position themselves and obtain some of the houses, adding that a total of 3,112 housing unit was flagged off by President Tinubu at Karsana , Abuja under the project "We have already awarded the contract for the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in 12 states nationwide, two states per geo- political zone and contractors have already been mobilized on sites to build a minimum of 250 houses that are affordable and organic in 1,2,3 bedrooms" he said Accordingly, the minister explained that what makes the houses organic is the ability to add an extra room as the need arises, for instance, a 1 bedroom apartment can be converted to 2 bedrooms by building another room. Apart from the Renewed Hope Estates and Cities, the Minister also suggested subscription to National Housing Programme to the Cooperative Society, saying that "currently, we have houses under the program in more than 20 states that were delivered by the last administration that are all processed in various states' headquarters." Dangiwa also told the members that the Ministry made the homeownership convenient and affordable for Nigerians, by providing flexible purchase options for these homes, which includes; outright purchase, mortgage, rent to own and installmental payment. Meanwhile, as part of support given to ensure the realization of their dream of homeownership, the Minister advised the leadership of the Cooperative Society to visit the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and apply for Cooperative Housing Development Loan. He explained, "If a Cooperative has a title land with no legal encounter, then you can approach the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and apply for Cooperative Housing Development Loan." He explained that under the loan, the Cooperative could design the houses the members want according to their income, appoint a developer and if the criteria for providing the loan is met, FMBN will provide funding for the construction of the houses and after the houses are completed, the bank will package long term single digit of 6 percent National Housing Fund mortgage loan or rent to own for their members to enable them own their homes and pay over time as this signifies that the Cooperative has offset its loan because it will be deducted from its members. On National Housing Fund (NHF) being managed by the FMBN, Dangiwa explained that contrary to the notion that only Nigerians working under Federal Government can access the fund, the Act setting up the NHF states that every Nigerian irrespective of coming from the informal or formal sector, shall contribute 2.5 percentage of his income into NHF for six months after which he becomes eligible to a loan ranging from one million to fifteen million to buy a house depending on affordability. The Minister also disclosed the plan of the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu to create a National Social Housing Fund, an insurance to promote housing as a fundamental human right; further explaining that it is a program whereby free houses are provided in the 774 Local Governments of Nigeria for citizens who do not have a means to own one. Speaking earlier, the National Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Taofeek Afolabi expressed optimism that partnering with the ministry will enable the members to benefit from the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates, assuring the Minister that the members are economically active and has the capacity to become home owners through mortgage. " Our primary areas of focus is homeownership for our members. We understand the challenges and how difficult it can be for the average Nigerian to own a home. This is why we intend to use this vehicle to make homeownership more accessible and affordable for Nigerians", he remarked. Afolabi, while commending the Minister for the achievements recorded since he assumed duty, announced the decision of the members of the Cooperative Society to adopt him as their Patron. He also revealed that, currently the Cooperative Society has over 4,500 members nationwide accross various walks of life and its membership is free. ...
Renewed Hope Cities: Nassarawa State Allocates Land to Housing Ministry ….. Contractors will move to site in coming days- Dangiwa The Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Project of the present administration through the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has gotten a boost, with the allocation of 24.62-hectare piece of land for the project by the Nasarawa State Government. Handing the documents to the Minister during a courtesy visit to the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, Governor of Nasarawa state, Engr. Abdullahi Sule maintained that the gesture was to show the commitment of the state to the efforts of the Ministry towards providing affordable housing to Nigerians. Dangiwa thanked the Governor for responding to the request for land made by the Ministry towards enhancing the affordability of housing units for Nigerians. He also assured the Governor that contractors for the Renewed Hope Cities’ project in Nasarawa state will commence work in the coming days following the issuance of the Approval of Grant and Certificate of Occupancy for a 24.62-hectare piece of land for the project. Governor Sule continued “ I want to thank the Minister most sincerely for choosing Nasarawa state as one of the benefiting states for the first phase of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme. We are extremely proud of what you are doing in the sector, and we can see how proud Mr. President is of what you are doing. He always makes reference to your promise that you will transform Nigeria into a giant construction site whenever we have our meetings, and we can see it happening already" “ The land we are giving is located in Karu Local Government, which is now one of the most visited local government areas in Nigeria. It is also growing rapidly in terms of population and development. We are very excited to be presenting this C of O and the Approval of Grant to you, and I decided to come and give it to you in person to show my appreciation for all you are doing in the housing sector in Nigeria,” he said. Reiterating the commitment of the ministry towards actualising the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for Housing and Urban Development, Dangiwa said the project in Nasarawa is just one of the several cities and estates to be built across the nation. “The first phase of the programme aims to deliver Renewed Hope Cities ranging from 1,000 housing units per site in one location in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country while the remaining thirty (30) states will have Renewed Hope Estates each with a minimum of 500 housing units. “As you already know, Nasarawa state is a beneficiary under phase 1. The contract for the construction of 250 units has been awarded and with these documents now in our hands, the contractors will be moving to site in less than a week from today,” he said. Dangiwa further called on the Nasarawa state Governor to prevail on other governors to do the same, as well as support the efforts of the Land Reforms Task Team constituted by the Ministry in January 2024, noting that their support and participation is necessary to successfully streamline land administration in Nigeria. “Unfortunately, despite sending official invitations, many are yet to send representatives. We are not discouraged because we understand the pressures that Governors face. So, today, I want to use this special occasion of your visit to specifically solicit your cooperation for the active participation of Nasarawa state in the Land Reforms Task Team and to also use your influence within the Governors’ Forum to get other Governors involved in this important national assignment,” he said. The land offered by the Nasarawa state government is a 24.62-hectare piece of land located at Auta-Balefi in Karu Local Government Area of the state, and represents the pilot site for the Renewed Hope Cities Project in the state. ...
The Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmad Musa Dangiwa, has called on professional surveyors in Nigeria to use their expertise to drive innovation, progress and positive change in the country. Arc Dangiwa who was represented by the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Abdullahi Tijjani Muhammad Gwarzo, made the call during the formal induction of 458 new surveyors held at Chida Hotel, Jabi, Abuja on Thursday. He said the induction represents a moment of great pride to the esteemed profession. The Minister advised the new surveyors that while navigating the challenges and opportunities ahead should keep in mind the principles of excellence and teamwork to achieve common goals as the profession is a service to society. He enjoined the senior colleagues and allied professional in the geospatial industry to inspire, motivate, and encourage the newly inducted surveyors as they embark on the vital task of shaping our built environment. "Your role as Surveyors is crucial in ensuring the integrity, safety, and sustainability of our communities because Surveying is ubiquitous." The Minister stated. Earlier, the Surveyor General of the Federation, Surveyor Abuduganiyu Adeyemi, had said surveying is considered a silent profession and plays a pivotal role in the sustainable development, territorial integrity and economic prosperity of any nation. The Surveyor General urged the newly inducted surveyors to be lifelong learners and be ambassadors of change who always advocate for progress and custodians of Nigerian's Geospatial heritage. ...
Ogunbiyi Assumes Office as Perm Sec Housing Ministry, Vows to Uphold Service Ethics in the Ministry
The newly assigned Permanent Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, has assumed office at the Ministry's Headquarters in Abuja, Friday, January12th, 2024.
Dr Ogunbiyi was deployed to Housing Ministry from the office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHCSF), where he held fort as the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office (CMO)
At the occassion, Dr. Ogunbiyi expressed his commitment and readiness to work with the staff of the Ministry, and solicited for their support and cooperation, while also promising to foster peace in order to collectively achieve the desired mandate of the Ministry.
The Permanent Secretary, who is a champion of the Performance Management System, a pillar of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 25), pledged to continue in his quest to promote a seamless implementation of the Plan in the Ministry.
"As great disciples of the Head of Service, we must all do everything possible to uphold the implementation of FCSSIP 25 in our Ministry, because it has come to stay in the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development”, he stressed.
Dr Ogunbiyi took over from the outgoing Permanent Secretary, Works and Housing, Mamuda Mamman, who supervises both the Works and Housing ministries since the demerger of the two ministries in August, 2023. Mamman was deployed to the Federal Ministry of Power.
In his remarks, on behalf of the staff of the Housing ministry, Director and Head of department, Engineering Services, Engr. Cyril Onyeneke welcomed the new Permanent Secretary and expressed enthusiasm to cooperate as well as follow his directions in order to achieve the goals of the Ministry.
Highlight of the occasion was the formal signing and presentation of the handover notes between the outgoing and incoming Permanent Secretaries.
In attendance at the event were the management and staff of the Ministry
Shelter Afrique Holds 42nd AGM In Abuja – Nigeria
The hosting of the 42nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Symposium Of Shelter Afrique (SHAF) is now confirmed to be holding in Abuja Nigeria from the 7th -12th of May ,2023.
Shelter Afrique (SHAF) is a company for Habitat and Housing, established in 1982 by African Governments, the African Development Bank (AFDB) and African Reinsurance Corporation (African–Re). This company is dedicated to providing funding solutions for affordable housing projects across Africa
Nigeria is a founding member of this company and holds position as the second largest shareholder after Kenya with investments totaling (USD) $30,724,961:00 and a shareholding of 15.80 %
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Shelter Afrique Constitutes the main policy organ of the company and it provides a forum for shareholders to collectively review and deliberate on the performance of the company once every year.
On the other hand, the Annual Symposium held during the AGM, is one of the key activities of Shelter Afrique, which is an avenue for collaboration and synthesizing emerging lessons, knowledge, best practices and innovations. Over the year the symposium has served to document and disseminate information to African Countries, stakeholders and key partners on the provision of affordable housing in Africa.
Nigeria, as at present is the first Vice –President of the 41st AGM Bureau recently held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in July of 2022; making her to be in the pole position to become the Chairman of the 42nd AGM Bureau In this wise, the country is going to host the 42nd AGM Symposium in Abuja by May 2023.
Some of the key stakeholders expected at the meeting are:
a) Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN)
b) Mortgage Bankers Association of Nigeria (MBAN)
c) Family Homes Fund (FHF)
d) Nigeria Mortgage Reinsurance Company (NMRC)
e) Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN)
f) Federal Housing Authority (FHA)
g) Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
h) Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN)
i) Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP)
j) Federal and State Ministries and Agencies in charge of Housing, Urban Development, Finance and Economic Matters.
Other activities during this AGM are:
Ministerial Roundtable session with Ministers of Planning Economy and Business Development Investor Relations Session as side event.
It promises to be an impactful session.
REMARKS BY THE HON. MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, ARC. AHMED MUSA DANGIWA AT THE INAUGURATION OF REFORM TASK TEAMS FOR THE ACTUALISATION OF THE RENEWED HOPE AGENDA FOR HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AT THE NAF CONFERENCE CENTRE, ABUJA
Protocols
Thank you.
REMARKS BY THE HON. MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AT THE FHMUD MOU SIGNING WITH CONTINENTAL CIVIL AND GENERAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LIMITED AND CEEZALI LIMITED ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2023.
Protocols
Good morning, ladies, and gentlemen.
1. I am really excited because after several months of strategic planning, engagements and hard work we are today set to record a significant milestone in our quest to deliver on the Renewed Hope Vision of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for Housing and Urban Development.
2. In a short moment we will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with a consortium comprising CONTINENTAL CIVIL AND GENERAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LIMITED and CEEZALI LIMITED for the delivery of 100,000 housing units across Nigeria.
3. The housing units are to be delivered under a Strategic Public Private Partnership (PPP) as part of our Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Program. Under the terms of this partnership the consortium will be the ones to provide construction finance and build the housing units to completion based on agreed housing designs and prices.
4. The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development on its side will facilitate provision of affordable mortgage loans to offtakers through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), facilitate the approval and the grant of all legal titles in select lands for the projects as part of its efforts to create an enabling environment for private sector investment in the housing sector.
5. Target beneficiaries are Nigerians in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy that contribute to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme.
6. The 100,000-housing Renewed Hope Housing Project is to be implemented in two phases. Phase One will deliver 20,000 in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) while Phase Two will deliver 60,000 houses in select locations across the six geopolitical zones of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
7. At 25 jobs per unit, this PPP will create 2,500,000 direct and indirect helping to achieve His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s target to lift 100million Nigerians out of poverty.
8. The housing problem that Nigeria faces is massive, and I sincerely believe that the task of developing Nigeria’s housing sector, ensuring increased access to decent and affordable housing is a collective endeavor. It is a patriotic job that requires the contribution, and active participation of all stakeholders across the entire housing value chain - from developers, mortgage bankers, development finance institutions, and government-owned housing institutions. We are all part of the housing eco-system and all that we do in our various spaces and areas of responsibilities impact positively or negatively on our collective desire to build a better and functional housing system that works for Nigerians.
9. We recognize that we cannot tackle Nigeria’s housing problem from budgetary allocation. So, we have prioritized Public Private Partnerships as effective tools for complementing government efforts to bridge the housing deficit.
10. And we aim to do it right. That is why we have developed a robust framework to ensure that each one that we as a Ministry enters is structured to succeed. Our PPP model involves transparent agreements, clear roles and responsibilities, and risk-sharing mechanisms to ensure accountability, fairness, and long-term sustainability.
11. These partnerships enable leveraging the strengths of both the public and private sectors, fostering innovation, efficiency, and increased access to funding. By combining the resources, expertise, and creativity of both sectors, we plan to facilitate the development of affordable housing, infrastructure, and sustainable communities that align with the diverse needs of our populace. Our long-term goal is to address the housing shortage and enhance the quality of life for our citizens.
12. I would like to commend the leadership of the consortium CONTINENTAL CIVIL AND GENERAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LIMITED and CEEZALI LIMITED for their passion for this project. And I look forward to working with them towards ensuring that we deliver as spelt out in the MoU.
13. With this MoU Signing, we are ending the year 2023 on a very strong note and setting a solid foundation for a strong start for the new year 2024.
14. Thank you.
THE HON. MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, ARC. AHMED MUSA DANGIWA RECEIVES PROGRESS REPORTS FROM HOUSING SECTOR REFORM TASK TEAMS
The Hon. Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa Receives Progress Reports from Housing Sector Reform Task Teams
THE PERMANENT SECRETARY, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, DR. MARCUS OGUNBIYI WITH THE DIRECTORS OF THE MINISTRY DURING AN INSPECTION TOUR OF THE SULEJA PROTOTYPE HOUSING, FRIDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2024
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi with the directors of the ministry during an inspection tour of the Suleja prototype Housing, Friday, April 5th, 2024