Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has revealed the aim of the Federal government to create employment for Nigerians, that will boost local economies, through the Renewed Hope Social Housing Programme.
Arc. Dangiwa disclosed this during the Ministry’s engagement on its operations, with the House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Habitat, at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
According to the Minister, the Renewed Hope Social Housing Programme was designed to provide homes for low-income earners, the unemployed, vulnerable groups, and Internally Displaced Persons. He said 100 housing units will be constructed in each of the 774 local government areas across the country.
He disclosed that over 2 million jobs will be created at 25 persons per job, 27 jobs per location, in 77,400 locations.
While informing that funding of the programme would be through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, Dangiwa stated that the committee will be fully briefed after approval of the National Social Housing Programme documents by President Bola Tinubu.
“After the take off of the project, we are going to bring a bill to the National Assembly for the project to be sustainable, so that we can have a national social housing fund,” he stated.
Dangiwa brought the committee up to speed with the status of ongoing projects of the Ministry, explaining that ongoing projects were carried along from the previous year and the 2022 supplementary budget during the first and second quarter of the present year, while awaiting further review of the 2025 budget from the budget office of the federation.
He revealed that most of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estate projects were at an advanced level of completion, assuring that once monies were released, the projects would be completed and ready for commissioning, within two months.
The Minister informed the committee of a recent visit to the Renewed Hope City in Karsana Abuja, with the developers and financiers, saying that the project was at a valid stage of completion and targeted to be completed by the end of August, but the ongoing construction of access roads awarded by Minister of the FCT would delay commissioning.
Similarly, he highlighted the progress so far achieved at the Renewed Hope Cities in Kano and Lagos States, both gearing up for commissioning soon.
On subscription for the houses, Arc. Dangiwa told the committee that it has commenced on all the sites, and developers are already recouping their monies.
Arc. Dangiwa further told the committee that the Ministry has written to the Accountant General of the Federation to be considered a priority sector for the government, when funds are released.
On his part, the Chairman House Committee on Housing and Habitat, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa, emphasized the committee’s commitment to resolving problems effectively, assuring the Minister that all issues will be attended to.
He promised that the committee’s arms were wide open to the Ministry, and will work harmoniously to ensure that their efforts are visible and impactful to the country.
