The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has charged stakeholders in the housing sector to focus more on how to solve the problem of housing deficits in the country rather than magnify the problem. He said inspite of the housing challenges; Nigeria will over time come out if consistent right policies are put in place.
Fashola stated this at the opening ceremony of the 11th Abuja International Housing Show with the theme, Solving Nigeria’s Housing Challenges through Innovative Finance and Infrastructure Solution.
The Minister noted that financing is not only the problem in the housing industry but also the issue of affordability and acceptability, adding that it is important to build to the satisfaction of the off – takers. He said that the Ministry is currently building in 33 States of the federation to respond to the climatic and cultural demands of the people under the National Housing Programme, adding that this will be used as a pilot to interface with the private sector.
While commending the vision and tenacity of Fesadeb Communication Ltd, the organiser, the Minister said that it is important to have a housing economy, an economy that delivers on a value chain that will impact on people’s economic lives like the artisans, mason, plumbers, welders and food vendors.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Chairman of the Abuja International Housing Show, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, noted that the choice of the theme for this year’s event is not only apt but appropriate. Oyegun stated that the Buhari administration promised to provide decent and affordable housing to Nigerians through the establishment of the National Housing Programme with a target of raising enough finance to build 1 million housing estates annually within the next decades.
He said that the APC-led government is also committed to bridge the gap of housing deficits by providing affordable housing for low income earners who are the most marginalised due to access to finance. He added that a new housing social project has been included in the economic recovery plan recently launched by the federal government with the objective to reduce the housing deficits and stimulate economic growth of the country.
The Abuja International Housing Show over the years has proved to be a veritable platform that brings stakeholders’ in the built industry together to chat a way forward in solving housing problem in Nigeria.
Olatunji John
PIO
For: Director (Information)
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