The federal government has opened an online platform for its National Housing Programme (NHP) effectively paving the way for the sale of over 5,000 housing units in 34 states across the country.
Minister of works and housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, stated at the occasion in Abuja that the new platform would help with home ownership and rental plans in both urban and rural locations.
While Lagos State has yet to give the government land for the scheme, it is envisaged that Rivers State will participate in phase three of the project.
The minister urged Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunity to purchase apartments in any region of the country of their choice under the initiative.
While the minister stated that over 5,000 houses are now being built in 34 states and the FCT, he added that access to affordable housing had remained a concern for many Nigerians.
“As you are aware, we have residences scattered over the country that are unoccupied,” he said, “This is due to the fact that different architectural styles appeal to different people. People in the North favor bungalows, whereas those in the South choose apartment towers.
“So first, what we did was to carry out a survey to know what kind of houses Nigerians want to live in and that helped us to formulate relevant policies for the project. We currently have over 5,000 units at different stages of completion.”