By Esther Alexander
The Hon. Minister of Housing and Urban Development Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has charged housing stakeholders to leverage on each other’s expertise to move the housing sector forward.
The minister during his inaugural address with ministry directors, staff, and CEOs of agencies, and Parastatals in Abuja, emphasized the importance of teamwork, innovation, hard work, and open communication in delivering the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as far as housing is concerned.
Having assumed office as the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Dangiwa assured that he’d take bold initiatives, champion strategic housing reforms, and break systems barriers to revamp housing and urban development in Nigeria.
“The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development carries a huge responsibility. It is designed to play a fundamental role in ensuring that Nigerians have access to affordable housing and that our communities are decent, safe, and livable.
“Ministry is to create an enabling environment and formulate policies that empower agencies under its supervision to perform their functions optimally. This will be a central focus of my leadership and I urge you all to work in alignment with this vision.
Highlighting the challenges facing the housing sector, Dangiwa says rapid population growth, the demand for housing in the nation is ever-increasing, and it is a collective duty to rise to the occasion and meet these needs head-on.
He listed amongst several plans and priorities, to work closely with the National Assembly to review relevant laws to streamline land and housing administration and create a conducive environment for investment in the housing sector.
“We will prioritize the N500Billion recapitalization of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to give it leverage and enhance its ability to provide more affordable mortgage loans to Nigerians.
“We will reform the FMBN, Federal Housing Authority (FHA), and other housing agencies so they can have the necessary capacity, and the technological edge to deliver world-class services to Nigerians.
“Our goal is to ensure that these strategic agencies are more effective and efficient in delivering at massive scale, decent and quality housing to Nigerians nationwide. Doing so will also help towards unlocking the massive power of the construction industry to create jobs and contribute its quota towards achieving His Excellency’s Plan to grow the economy, boost inclusive growth, and lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
“We will also embrace innovative housing construction financing solutions while working with relevant institutions to unlock the funding required to deliver massive affordable housing nationwide, he added.
The minister also confirmed that in the next couple of days, the ministry will unveil its Strategic Housing and Urban Development Blueprint which will contain details of priorities, initiatives, reforms, and plans.
He urged all stakeholders to embrace the opportunity and work with passion and dedication, and be proactive and diligent to collectively transform Nigeria’s housing landscape.
On his part, the Honorable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, His Excellency Abdullahi Tijjani Muhammad Gwarzo FTRAN says the ministry will work tirelessly to address housing challenges head-on.
“We will develop and implement policies, programs, and initiatives that are in consonance with the President’s RENEWED HOPE AGENDA, that promote sustainable urban development, improve housing affordability, and enhance the living conditions of our people.
“To achieve our objectives, we must foster collaboration and partnership with all stakeholders, the Honorable Minister and I shall take the lead in this regard, by entrenching a harmonious working pact, that would carry along all the Staff of the ministry, as well as include the private sector, development partners, civil society organizations, and local communities. We must leverage the expertise, resources, and innovative ideas that they bring to the table.
“Importantly, transparency, accountability, and good governance will be the guiding principles of this ministry under our watch. We will ensure that all our activities are carried out in a transparent manner, with integrity and fairness. We will be accountable to the Nigerian people and will regularly communicate our progress and achievements”.
Also present is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, of Federal Housing Authority FHA Sen. Gbenga B. Ashafa, Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria FMBN, Madu Hamman, amongst others.
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