FG Repositions The Management Of FHA for Effective Service Delivery …Now has 5 Departments, 2 Executive Directors reassigned as 3 new others come on board President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR has approved the reorganization of the management of Federal Housing Authority (FHA) for effective service delivery. The objective of the new structure of the Authority is to enhance the implementation of the maintenance of FHA Estates across the country which will generate new businesses and jobs in the construction industry in pursuance of the Federal Public Assets Maintenance Policy approved by the Federal Executive Council. The new structure of the Authority has the following Departments: (a) Estates Services (b) Housing Finance and Accounts (c) Management   Services (d) Project Implementation (e) Research and Innovation Development  According to the Presidential approval, the two officers reassigned are the former Executive Director, Business Development, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibril who will now move to the Research and Innovation Development Department, and the former Executive Director, Housing Finance and Corporate Services, Mr. Ekpenyong Maurice  who has been moved to the Management Services Department.  The newly appointed Executive Directors include Babakobi Mohammed Hauwa, Estate Services; Adamu Kure, Housing Finance and Accounts; and Chinonso Sam-Omoke ,Project Implementation.   The expansion of the Management of the Authority will bring a lot of advantages which include attraction of new investments in the construction of new estates across the country and generation of new jobs and businesses, in line with Mr. President’s promise of taking One Hundred Million Nigerians out of poverty.   ...

Fashola Calls On States To Re-Commit To Housing Development Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN has called on State Governments to recommit to housing development in their respective states in order to increase access to affordable housing to the citizenry. Fashola spoke in his keynote address at the meeting of the Honourable States' Commissioners responsible for housing matters during the10th Meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development held in Lagos State. The theme of the meeting is "Housing Development as a Catalyst for Job Creation, Social Inclusion and Economic Development." The Minister explained that the inequality among the nations and people can be reduced drastically if housing need of the poor is considerably addressed in the states.  "These are some of the reasons why I seek to persuade all of you to go back to your States to persuade your Governors to re-commit to housing development. I said re-commit, because I am aware that many states are doing something, but you will agree that there is a scope to improve and scale up," he said “One reason why this will require an All of Government Action is the fact That land is a critical component of capital formation and it is controlled by the states (not the Federal Government)and I am persuaded that appropriate, targeted and purposeful use of land, such as for  the development of housing by the states and private sector, will unleash prosperity in all states that aggregates to national prosperity,” Fashola explained.   The Minister gave example of Lagos State days of the LEDB, LSDPC and Lateef Jakande has been and added that the present Governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu, remains example of what state governments can do to deepen housing supply and reap the benefits that comes with it.   Buttressing his position, Fashola stated that land and housing is a sub-national matter of jurisdictions, pointing out that what the states do to facilitate processing of land titles, documentation, Certificate of Occupancy and other Geographic Information (GIS) details will go a long way in facilitating easy housing delivery.   Accordingly, he stated that appropriate, targeted and purposeful use of land, such as for the development of housing by the states and private sector, will unleash prosperity in all states that aggregates to national prosperity.   The Minister informed the meeting that the Federal Government is undertaking a National Housing Programme in 34 states aggregating to about 5,000 housing units, and trying to complete an inherited ministerial pilot housing scheme across the states which has a little over 6,000 units. Fashola said that the decisions to recommit to housing development by State governments would facilitate the creation of variety of jobs because the services of various professionals in the built industry such as town planners, architect would be required, adding that artisans like masons, plumbers, carpenters and food vendors  would not be left out of the value chain of prosperity resulting from economic development. "When construction actively starts, ‘the economic explosion happens, supplies of sand, cement, reinforcements, roofing, plumbing, painting, and other components get to work" and "this drives a critical business in all our states, the micro small and medium enterprises who make or supply these building components, “he emphasized. In the same vein, he explained that the Federal Housing Authority and Federal Mortgage Bank are also intervening as federal agencies in respective housing development directly through cooperative societies and the provision of development loans and mortgage loans. But all these, he added, account for only a small amount of the need across the nation for many reasons not excluding the limited amount of land available to these federal agencies. In his opening remarks, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, while assuring participants at the council of implementing the recommendations of the meeting, disclosed that the state had begun to implement the commendations agreed on at the 9thNationalCouncil on Lands Housing and Urban Development, on making land available for Building by providing lands to build a mini city at Imota in Ikorodu   Division of Lagos State. He said the state would develop about 3,500 housing units of 2 and 3 bedrooms in phases for civil servants and those in the informal sector who fall within the category of low-income earners and to be acquired at a single digit interest rate mortgage plan that could span a period of 15years. He added that his administration was determined to develop decent homes within the states as well as meet the housing needs of the citizens irrespective of their location. Mr Governor, who said that home ownership was a vital tool for taking people out of poverty, assured the council that Lagos State would collaborate with the Private sector to adopt the monthly rent payment as proposed by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN. In his vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works And Housing, Babangida Hussaini, commended the excellent leadership of the works and housing sectors. He also noted the commitment of Council Members to the 10th Meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development and urged them to go back and implement the Council Resolutions.   ...

We Create Jobs Through Housing Construction - Perm Sec Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Babangida Hussaini said the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration is creating jobs for Nigerians through construction of mass housing nationwide. Hussaini who made the remarks at the ongoing 10th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development holding in Lagos State was represented at the occasion by the Director Lands and Housing of the Ministry, Mrs. Great- Edereka. The theme of the Council meeting is "Housing Development as a Catalyst for Job Creation, Social Inclusion and Economic Development." Hussaini restated the commitment of the Federal Government towards the creation of employment for the citizens through mass housing construction across the states. The Permanent Secretary said that the present administration is committed to addressing critical economic challenges confronting the country as well as lifting hundred Nigerians out of poverty through creation of jobs and sustenance of an inclusive egalitarian society. He explained that the construction of mass housing by the federal government under the National Housing Programme has led to the creation of numerous jobs both directly and indirectly, pointing out that it has positively impacted immensely on the economy. "This Programme has impacted massively on the national economy through the creation of direct and indirect jobs," he said. The Permanent Secretary disclosed that the federal government had embarked on the construction of decent and affordable mass housing nationwide under the National Housing Programme (NHP) and also strengthened collaboration with the organised private sector under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) to provide same to Nigerians. Hussaini also disclosed that in a bid to   realise President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision to expand the infrastructure and housing stock of the nation, the Ministry has adequately supported the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and Federal Housing Authority with all the necessary assistance needed. While urging the participants to engage in a robust deliberation on memoranda presented before them, he noted that it was the responsibility of stakeholders in the built industry to ensure that housing development served as a catalyst for job creation, social inclusion and economic development. Hussaini said "The task of ensuring that housing development serves as a catalyst for job creation, social inclusion and economic development rest on the shoulders of all the stakeholders in the industry," therefore " I urge all stakeholders in the industry to make good use of the opportunity provided by the council meeting to deliberate on memoranda submitted towards formulating and strengthening policies that will address housing development in Nigeria." Speaking earlier, the Honourable Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State, TPL Dr. Idris Salako, revealed that the Lagos State Government had relaxed some policies to encourage investments in the Real Estate Sector for housing provision by lifting embargoes from areas that were under various ban. He explained that the advantages of the policy relaxation included: availability of more land for housing delivery, abundant job creation to engage professionals, technicians and artisans in the production line of the housing sector. The day three of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development Meeting is the day of the meeting of the body of Permanent Secretaries under the Chairmanship of the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. The meeting was to deliberate and brainstorm on the memoranda earlier produced during the first two days meeting of the technical officers and directors of relevant agencies in the built industry. The body of the Permanent Secretaries will forward their report to the higher body of States' Commissioners meeting of the built industry under the Chairmanship of the Honourable Minister of Works and Housing for final endorsement.       ...