Housing is one of the critical needs of man. State governments in Nigeria have different approach towards tackling the housing deficit in their domain.
Africanhousingnews.com here reviews some state’s housing polices.
ABIA
Abia state government under the leadership of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has made relative progress in terms of providing housing for its citizens. At the inception of the present administration in Abia, the housing estates already developed were not fully occupied. It therefore became imperative that the government ensured that the estates were occupied. It was in the process that it was also discovered that the housing estates except the Amaokwe Housing Estate, Umuahia lacked basic amenities such as roads and portable water. The state government also entered into an agreement with the private investor to ensure steady supply of water at the Isieke Housing Estate that has the problem of water.
The philosophy of Ikpeazu is that functional housing estates must put into consideration the cultural practices of Abians. To address this issue, the government started working with the elected Chairman of the seventeen local government areas in 2017 under a PPP arrangement to build at least 60 housing units in each of the local governments of the state.
Abia state also started discussion with an investor to build 3,000 units of housing at Obeaku in Ukwa West. The novel thing about this project is that Obeaku is close to Port Harcourt and that alone makes the project a viable venture. The Unity Garden Estate, Aba, which was started some years ago, has also been
Our assessment: Not much has been done in the area of housing in the last two years by the Abia State government. It is expected that the state government will wake up to delivering affordable housing before the expiration of the tenure of the current administration.
ADAMAWA
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa state has been able to flag off a number of projects in the state since his swearing in as governor. Chief among this is the flagging off of the construction of 2,000 housing units in Yola in September 2019.
At the flag off, the governor said the 1,300 houses would be built in Malkohi, 300 in Mubi Local Government Area and others in Yola metropolis. He recalls that no housing estate has been built in the last five years. He urged the contractors, Family Homes Limited, to stick to their promise of delivering the project in12 months. The Managing Director of Family Homes Ltd, Femi Adewole, said N8bn had been injected into the project. He said the homes will be allocated to civil servants at very affordable prices. The housing units upon completion will have hospitals, schools, recreational centres, shopping malls among others.
Our assessment: Though less than a year in office, Governor Fintiri must step up in the area of provision of affordable houses for the people of Adamawa state.
AKWA IBOM
Chief among the housing initiatives of the Akwa Ibom State government is the collaboration between the state government and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN). In July 2019, the two parties entered into an agreement to ensure that low and medium-income workers in the state own houses at retirement. The governor, Udom Emmanuel said the era where some workers in the state within the low-medium income retired without a home is over.
He assured the bank and workers in the state that his administration was determined to partner with FMBN to construct affordable housing units for low -income workers in the three senatorial districts of the state.
In addition, the, Akwa Ibom government and Family Homes Fund in November 2018 also signed an MoU towards the delivery of six new estates. The housing projects were planned to be located in Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, Eket, Ikot Abasi, Onna and Uruan. The state government is partnering Family Homes Fund in the project. Construction started November last year on the 1,000 units of various houses.
Another developer will build 3,000 units of houses at Odiok Itam in Itu local government council, according to the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Ime Ekpo.
Our assessment: Governor Udom Emmanuel have shown serious interest in housing which has led to the signing of MOUs with several organizations including Family Homes Funds. It is time for Governor Emmanuel to move to site.
ANAMBRA
Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano in December 2019 inaugurated a N13bn estate to solve the housing needs of residents of Awka, the state capital. Obiano recently laid the foundation stone for the construction of the project, a smart city called Awka Millennium City (AMC).
Obiano, during the inauguration stated that AMC, also known as ‘Millionaire Estate’, would have all the infrastructure found in any modern city, and would be an ideal place for the rich in the society to live in.
Under his administration, the State government also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rotech Energy Services Ltd. The MoU, which would cost N4.25 billion, for construction of 500 Housing Units at Nkwelle Ezunaka, Oyi Local Government Area (LGA).
The housing units, which include schools, hospitals and others, would occupy 50 hectares of land. Obiano said his administration was committed to embarking on more housing schemes to reduce the accommodation challenges faced by citizens of the state. Gov. Obiano stressed that the work would also stimulate economic development by creating numerous job opportunities for citizens.
The state has also benefitted from the housing initiatives of the federal government with the revival of the National Housing Programme in Anambra which has been stalled due to paucity of funds 32 years after the project was conceived.
Our assessment: The Obiano administration appears to have lost its focus when it comes to delivering projects especially housing projects. There are no tangible housing initiatives that we can point to in his second term so far.
BAUCHI
Not much has been achieved in the area of housing by the administration of Bala Mohammed since his inauguration May last year. He has however been able to secure the commitment of the Federal Government through Family Homes Funds to build 2,500 housing units in the state. The Federal Ministry of Finance said in September 2019 that it would fund the construction of the housing units in the state through the FHF to the tune of N15 billion.
Governor Bala Muhammed said his administration will key into the project as part of efforts to address housing deficit in the state. According to the governor, the project would also provide qualitative and affordable accommodation to people of the state and the project would be executed across the six Emirate Councils of the state.
The governor said that the housing unit would be constructed with a modern school, hospital, mosque and church as well as other basic facilities, adding that the project has undergone the necessary procurement procedures to ensure that it is done in line with international best practice.
Our assessment: Governor Bala Mohammed need to urgently commence housing projects having signed MoU with Family Homes Funds and some other organizations. There is no doubt that these housing projects will create employment for the youths in the state.
….To be continued
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