The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has partnered with the Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN) to advance the delivery of affordable housing under the Renewed Hope Housing Programme, a key initiative of the current administration.
The collaboration aims to eradicate homelessness and provide decent, affordable housing for all Nigerians in a safe environment.
The agreement was reached during a courtesy visit by the AHCN’s President and Chairman of the Council, Esv. Eno Obongha led a delegation to the Ministry.
AHCN, which includes members such as the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Federal Housing Authority (FHA), and the Nigerian Building & Road Research Institute (NBRRI), represents federal and state housing agencies, housing research institutes, mortgage establishments, and private property developers.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa highlighted that the Renewed Hope Housing Programme was created to increase the availability of affordable housing across Nigeria.
He assured the AHCN that the Ministry is committed to ensuring that all housing projects under the program will be completed, with no abandoned projects.
Dangiwa also emphasized the importance of using high-quality, locally sourced building materials to deliver durable homes that meet the expectations of Nigerians.
”This approach is intended not only to ensure the quality of housing but also to boost the local economy,” he said.
The Minister praised the AHCN’s Agric-Villages Scheme, which aims to acquire farmland in rural areas across all states, using agriculture to drive housing provisions.
”This initiative is expected to create job opportunities for unemployed youths,” he noted.
He assured that the scheme would be incorporated into the National Social Housing Fund initiative, which is being developed to provide access to affordable housing for low and non-income Nigerians.
During the meeting, Obongha expressed AHCN’s commitment to the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda by offering approximately 15 hectares of land in each senatorial district for housing development.
The association also requested that State Housing Corporations be allowed to obtain Housing Development Funds through mortgages and sought inclusion in executing housing projects under the program.
Furthermore, Obongha suggested that at least twenty per cent of the building materials used in the Renewed Hope Agenda Projects should be locally sourced to support the domestic industry.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Lands, Housing, and Urban Development has expressed support for the Minister in his request for a N500 billion annual allocation to support the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates program.
The endorsement came during an oversight meeting with the Minister, where the need for substantial investment in housing development was discussed.
Senator Aminu Tambuwal, the committee chairman, assured the Minister of the Senate’s full support, noting that it would ensure the success of the Ministry’s housing development initiatives.
