Housing Ministry Supports BUMPAN On Local Building Materials Needs of Nigerians    Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Shuaib Belgore has restated the commitment of the federal government to solving the Building Material needs of Nigerians.     Belgore reiterated this when he received the President of Building Materials Producers Association of Nigeria (BUMPAN), Abdulhakeem Huthman and members of his Association on a visit to the Ministry.   "The Ministry is interested in Partnering with the Association in ensuring that most building materials are built in Nigeria", he stated.   Belgore explained that made in Nigeria building materials such as tiles, POP, carpet, cement and others will be looked into as it promotes and expands local manufacturers.     He told the Association that in building 10,000, 20,000 homes and above, Nigerian made doors, tiles, glass, keys, as well as window frames etc can be used, stating that it will further help in creating more jobs for both manufacturers, builders, artisans and others at large.    The Permanent Secretary noted that the ministry is open to Public Private Partnership (PPP), with the departments of Public Building and Procurement, serving as committees to further advance the solution to local building material needs and  housing problems in Nigeria, urging the Association to work with the ministry to ensure more Nigerian building materials needs are timely provided.   "The Committee will also use all incentives available in the ministry to look into partnership with the hubs in order to solve the housing problem and creating more jobs" he remarked.   Earlier, the President of the Building Materials Producers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Abdulhareem Huthman, explained that their Association seeks the assistance of the Ministry to enable them establish a Secretariat and appoint an executive to run the affairs of the Association for the purpose of commitment and seriousness.    Abdulhareem added that BUMPAN will welcome the role the ministry will play in the building material production as it is calling on the ministry for support.    The President of the Association stated that in the 4th quarter of the year, evaluation of the total number of building materials manufactured can be done in order to understand the progress level of the local manufacturers.   He further noted that the link between private and public sector are wide because they are not guided, stating that the Association cannot continue to export jobs while local producers are struggling.  ...

HOUSING MINISTRY TO CREATE DIGITAL PLATFORM FOR ARTISANS    * Technology will serve as online market place to make trained artisans accessible and efficient - Dangiwa    Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has disclosed the plan of the Ministry to create an online application for skilled workers, aimed at leveraging technology to make artisans more visible, accessible and efficient in delivering their services.   The Minister made this disclosure when he received rlthe Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, Hon. Adamson Ayinde and his team on a courtesy visit at the Ministry’s headquarters, Abuja.   He explained that the digital platform to be named ‘Uber for Artisans’ will serve as an online market place where trained and certified artisans can connect with potential customers, adding the platform would enhance the earning potential of artisans and ensure that customers have access to skilled professionals for their construction needs.   “I believe that the Uber for Excel platform will be a game changer in the construction industry, as it will not only bridge a gap between supply and demand, but also promoting transparency and quality service delivery”, he hoped.   He commended the passion and proactive initiatives of the office of the SSA, which aligns with the Federal government’s agenda, particularly in vocational training, skills acquisition and youth empowerment.   Dangiwa restated that the Ministry of Housing, Urban Development, was driving the President's vision for addressing the housing deficit in Nigeria through renewed housing programs which aims to build seven cities, one in each geo political zone of the country and FCT, and 30 renewed hope estates across the country.   He informed that construction work was ongoing at 14 sites for 10,112 housing units, with significant portions expected to be commissioned within the next couple of months, providing jobs for over 252,000 Nigerians.   Stating further that construction sites were a source of employment for various skilled and unskilled laborers, the Minister noted that the quality of work done by these artisans were crucial to delivering decent and quality housing to Nigerians.   To this effect, He revealed that the Ministry has conceived the National Artisan Skill Acquisition Program (NASA) to address the shortage of skilled artisans in the construction industry and provide sustainable livelihoods for young Nigerians.   The Minister said the NASA program to be launched within the year aims to equip youths with construction-related skills such as plumbing, electrical works, masonry, carpentry, among others. “These skills are not only essential for construction sector, but also contribute to the economic, overall economic development of our nation”, he added.   The Minister also explained that the program will work with relevant government agencies, institutions, and the private sector to train and certify artisans. Accordingly, Arc. Dangiwa informed that the  ministry was in the process of completing and habitating its vocational training centers in various locations, including Abuja, Lagos and Imo states.   Expressing happiness that the SSA and his team has visited some of the centers, the Minister said that the ministry intends to rehabilitate some of the institutions within the next couple of months, pointing out that the centers will serve as hubs for hands-on training and capacity building for artisans.   To achieve this, he said that a committee would be set up in the Ministry within a period of three months, with the format for the training, as well as engagement with relevant associations, including the relevant associations in the building industry.   Arc. Dangiwa further assured the team of the Ministry's full support and cooperation in achieving the shared goals of both parties.   Speaking earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, Hon. Adamson Ayinde, commended the Minister for his efforts in advancing the Renewed Hope Housing Development program.    While acknowledging the Minister’s leadership and the sustainable housing solutions, he highlighted key challenges which includes a shortage of skilled artisans.   To address this, He informed that his office was collaborating with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), and the department of Federal Public Assets Maintenance (FPAM) to propose a six-month training and certification program for Nigerian artisans.    He noted that the initiative aims to strengthen the local workforce, enhance construction quality, and ensure Nigerian artisans can compete internationally.    Hon. Ayinde further told the Minister that a formal proposal outlining the implementation framework, training curriculum, and expected outcomes would be submitted.   Also earlier in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry Dr. Shuaib Belgore, reiterated the ministry's unwavering commitment to providing affordable housing for Nigerians, in line with the vision of President Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.   While emphasizing that the ministry's primary mandate was to ensure the availability of affordable housing for all citizens, he assured the delegates that the ministry was actively engaging in numerous housing development projects across the country in order to achieve President Bola Anmed Tinubu's goal.   "We are actively carrying out multiple housing development projects nationwide, and our efforts are yielding positive results," he stated. ...

Dangiwa Warns Developers of Renewed Hope Housing Projects to Maintain High Construction Standards, Deliver Quality Work    •⁠  ⁠Threatens demolition of substandard work, revocation of contracts.   Housing and Urban Development Minister Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has issued a strong warning to all developers of Renewed Hope Housing Estates and Cities across the thirteen locations nationwide to maintain high construction standards and deliver quality work and says " we will not tolerate any substandard work found on any Renewed Hope Project Site anywhere in the country”.   Dangiwa emphasised that construction must be based on contractual terms to ensure durability, stating that he will not hesitate to revoke contract of any substandard work.   “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President, we are very committed to ensuring that the houses that we build and the infrastructure is of good quality. To all the developers and contractors on our Renewed Hope Housing Projects, I want them to know that we will not tolerate poor quality work from any developer or contractor. If we identify any substandard work at any of the project sites, we will first demolish the structure and the Contractor will have to rebuild as per standard or we revoke the contract entirely”, he warned.    The Minister spoke, friday when he led the Ministry’s officials including the Minister of State,  Rt Hon Yusuf Abdullahi Ata,  the Permanent,  Dr Shuaib Belgore and some Directors of the ministry on the inspection of the ongoing construction work of the 1,500  and 500 Housing Housing Unit Renewed Hope Housing City in Kano State which are being built via Public Private Partnership and Budgetary provision respectively.    “We are impressed with the pace of work at the 1,500 Housing Unit Renewed Hope City that we are building here in Kano through a Public Private Private Partnership (PPP) with a consortium of developers led by Continental Civil Engineering. I commend them for the speed and the workforce they have mobilised. For the 500-Housing Unit Renewed Hope City which we are funding under the 2023 Supplementary budget, the project is not moving at the pace that we expect and we want the developers to step things up so we can complete and commission”, he noted.    On the timeline, he said “ We also want the developers to adhere to the timeline and finish within two to three months    Accordingly,  he stated that the ministry of housing and urban development under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, is very particular about giving Nigerians value for money, hence the government will not compromise on standard.   He also explained the economic impact of housing constructions, including job creation for masons, labourers , artisans, food vendors, blocks and other building materials suplliers, saying that the value chain effect of construction work is significant and creates a positive economic impact.   " We are making serious progress in our bid to actualize the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for housing and urban development. Our plan is to build seven Renewed Hope Cities,  one in each geo- political zone and FCT. We currently ongoing construction for 2,000 units in Kano, 3,112 units in FCT and  2,000 in Lagos while other locations are scheduled to come on stream. We also have construction ongoing simultaneously at twelve (12) for Renewed Hope Estates 250 housing units each two per geo-political zone " Dangiwa stated.   The Minister also directed Federal Controllers and assigned Ministry monitoring personnel to ensure close supervision of work and escalation of all quality infringements for action to be taken while also warning them not to compromise their offices.  ...