The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Tuesday,
revealed that there would be change in the policy direction of the
Buhari’s administration in the settlement sector.
This, he said, would commence in the 2016 budget implementation, as the
Federal Government would spend N10b to build low income housing estate in
each of the state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT).
It will be recalled that the Obasanjo’s administration upturned the policy
of Shagari’s administration by declaring that government would no longer
build houses for people to occupy, subsequently, he sold off all
government houses built during Shagari era.
During Obasanjo government, the government through the Ministry of Land,
Housing and Urban Development was collaborating with the developers by
providing lands for them to build ‘affordable’ housing estates. The policy
direction that was replicated by both Ya’Adua and Jonathan governments.
However, Fashola unveiling Buhari’s administration agenda in the housing
sector in Abuja, said there is need for the government to review the
existing policy in the housing sector to address housing deficit in the
country.
He said; “The Housing sector presents an enormous opportunity for
positively impacting the economy to promote not only growth but inclusion.
“There have been a couple of National Housing policies and we intend to
appraise the most current one to make changes only if necessary.
“Government will lead the aggressive intervention to increase supply, by
undertaking construction of public housing and formulate policies that
will invariably lead to private sector participation and ownership to
reduce our housing deficit.”
Fashola maintained that the government would understudy ‘Jakande and
Shagari’s housing estates model to develop an affordable housing unit for
the masses, by building 40 blocks in each state.
He noted that the immediate past administration budgeted less in housing
sector of the economy, the trends that would be reversed.
“So for us, consistency is key, annual spending is an imperative. We must
change the budget for national housing from N1.8 Billion in 2015 to
something in the hundreds of billions of Naira that matches our ambition.
“If we can spend N10 billion in each state and the FCT on housing alone
every year subject to (a) the capacity to raise the money and (b) the
capacity to utilize the funds having regards to our current construction
methods and the time it takes to complete construction, which our ministry
intends to change by research and industrialization of housing,” he said.
The minister explained that the government would embark on seminars and
conferences to ensure proper capacity building for stakeholders in the
sector to drive the new agenda.
According to him, “If we achieve this, we will move from where we are now,
start construction in all 36 States and the FCT and sustain this as we go
along.
“In the housing sector, if we complete our on-going projects, and we get
land from the Governors in all states and the FCT to start what we know,
using the Lagos Home model, we should start 40 Blocks of Housing in each
state and FCT.