400 of 562 Kano lowcost houses completed, sold – MD KSIP
The Managing Director (MD) Kano State Investment and Property (KSIP), DrJibrilla Mohammed, has revealed that of the 562 low-cost houses proposed in the first phase of the state government’s housing scheme for civil servants, 400 houses have been successfully completed and sold to buyers.
The MD, who made this known during an interaction with our correspondent, said the firm has not completed the remaining 162 as a result of the changing economics of construction products.
He explained that the state executive council has ordered that the low-cost houses should be affordable for civil servants and therefore must not be sold at more than N2.850 million adding, however, that at present, that amount cannot build the house envisaged by the government due to the changes in the economy.
“The reason why we couldn’t complete the remaining 162 houses is that we have to wait for the approval of the executive council on a review request sent on the cost of building the houses due to changing economics of construction products.
“The review has become necessary because the executive council has ordered that the houses should be sold at not more than N2.850m each but at the present cost of production, we can’t build such houses and sell at that price,” he said.
The MD further explained that the pronouncement by Kano State Governor, DrAbdullahi Umar Ganduje, of building 5,000 houses across the state has just begun with the completion of the first phase at Gurjiya.
He said KSIP is currently making arrangements for the second phase taking into consideration the purchasing power of the selected areas.
He also revealed that the cost of the houses did not include that of the land, adding that the state governor out of his magnanimity has instructed that the land be given to each prospective buyer of the house free of charge.
“It will interest you to know that the lands for this low-cost housing are freely given out by the state government. That is why the price of the houses at the low-cost housing built by Ganduje’s administration is relatively cheaper.
“So, pending the outcome of the request sent by KSIP, we will soon celebrate the handing over of all the completed low-cost houses to the respective owners,” he stated.