...As Fashola charges stakeholders to support govt housing delivery effort

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has charged stakeholders in the housing sector to come up with solutions to the housing deficit in the country rather than magnify the problem.

Fashola stated this Friday at the opening ceremony of the 11th Abuja International Housing Show which had the theme: ‘Solving Nigeria’s Housing Challenges through Innovative Finance Infrastructure Solution’.

The minister maintained that the huge housing deficit across the country would be overcome if consistent right policies were put in place.

Fashola further noted that financing was not the only problem in the housing industry, but affordability and acceptability, charging developers to build to the satisfaction of the off-takers.

He said that his ministry was currently building in 33 states and of the federation under the National Housing Programme to respond to the climatic and cultural demands of the people.

Fashola further said that it was important to have a housing economy that delivered on a value chain that would impact on people’s economic life, especially artisans: masons, plumbers, welders and food vendors.

Earlier, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chairman of the Housing Show, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, noted that the choice of the theme for the event was apt.

Oyegun stated that the Buhari administration promised to provide decent and affordable housing to Nigerians through the establishment of the National Housing Programme with a target of raising enough finance to build one million houses annually within the next decade.

He said that the APCled government was also committed to bridging the gap of housing deficit by providing affordable housing for low income earners who were the most marginalised due to access to finance. He added that a new housing social project had been included in the Economic Recovery Plan recently launched by the Federal Government with the objective to reduce the housing deficit and stimulate economic growth of the country.