Th e federal government has reiterated its commitment to restructure and revitalise the housing sector with a view to cutting down on the current 17 million housing defi cit and ensure that Nigerians have aff ordable houses. Th e government said it intends to revitalise the sector through repositioning in policy and structure adding that these would facilitate provision of aff ordable houses to all cadres of persons stressing that it has already taken the needed steps through providing quantum budgetary allocation to the sector in the 2017 budget.
Th e Permanent Secretary (Works & Housing) sectors of Head of Policy Analysis and Development, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Mr SL Wali (left), receiving Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, on behalf of the DG/CEO RMRDC, Dr Hussain Doko Ibrahim, during the Niger state Investment Summit, in Minna recently Photo: RMRDC the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Alhaji Mohammed Bukar, stated this while declaring open the meeting of Permanent Secretaries at the on-going 6th meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development in Abuja. He noted that the federal government was worried over the huge housing defi cit and therefore doing everything necessary to the address the shortfall.
Further, he said that the Council Meeting provides permanent secretaries from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT as well as other stakeholders in the built environment an avenue to come together and deliberate on matters that will move the housing sector forward. Mohammed added that deliberations and recommendations from delegates in the conference will proff er solutions and reposition the Sector for better performance and meeting the housing needs of the people.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chinyeaka Christian, who was represented by the Director of Land Administration, Adamu Jibrin Hussaini, said the theme of the Council: ‘’Building for Inclusion, Growth and Prosperity’’ was not only apt, but that it would avail professionals and other stakeholders the opportunity to rub minds and articulate common fronts in tackling challenges in the sub-sector.
He disclosed that the FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammed Musa Bello, has been working assiduously to reposition the over 8, 000 square kilometres of land space in the FCT for a better result, adding that provision of basic infrastructure in the nation’s capital is key to this present Administration. Th e Meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, which started two days ago, featured extensive deliberations on various Memoranda by various states across the federation, stakeholders and other relevant organizations. Reports of the meeting were discussed by the participants who came up with far reaching recommendations which were presented to the Council on Th ursday
