Renewed Hope Cities:  Nassarawa State Allocates Land to Housing Ministry  …..  Contractors will move to site in coming days- Dangiwa  The Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Project of the present administration through the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has gotten a boost,  with the allocation of 24.62-hectare piece of land for the project by the Nasarawa State Government. Handing the documents to the Minister during a courtesy visit to the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, Governor of Nasarawa state, Engr. Abdullahi Sule maintained that the gesture was to show the commitment of the state to the efforts of the Ministry towards providing affordable housing to Nigerians. Dangiwa thanked the Governor for responding to the request for land made by the Ministry towards enhancing the affordability of housing units for Nigerians. He also assured the Governor that contractors for the Renewed Hope Cities’ project in Nasarawa state will commence work in the coming days following the issuance of the Approval of Grant and Certificate of Occupancy for a 24.62-hectare piece of land for the project. Governor Sule continued “ I want to thank the Minister most sincerely for choosing Nasarawa state as one of the benefiting states for the first phase of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme. We are extremely proud of what you are doing in the sector, and we can see how proud Mr. President is of what you are doing. He always makes reference to your promise that you will transform Nigeria into a giant construction site whenever we have our meetings, and we can see it happening already"  “ The land we are giving is located in Karu Local Government, which is now one of the most visited local government areas in Nigeria. It is also growing rapidly in terms of population and development. We are very excited to be presenting this C of O and the Approval of Grant to you, and I decided to come and give it to you in person to show my appreciation for all you are doing in the housing sector in Nigeria,” he said. Reiterating the commitment of the ministry towards actualising the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for Housing and Urban Development, Dangiwa said the project in Nasarawa is just one of the several cities and estates to be built across the nation. “The first phase of the programme aims to deliver Renewed Hope Cities ranging from 1,000 housing units per site in one location in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country while the remaining thirty (30) states will have Renewed Hope Estates each with a minimum of 500 housing units. “As you already know, Nasarawa state is a beneficiary under phase 1. The contract for the construction of 250 units has been awarded and with these documents now in our hands, the contractors will be moving to site in less than a week from today,” he said. Dangiwa further called on the Nasarawa state Governor to prevail on other governors to do the same, as well as support the efforts of the Land Reforms Task Team constituted by the Ministry in January 2024, noting that their support and participation is necessary to successfully streamline land administration in Nigeria. “Unfortunately, despite sending official invitations, many are yet to send representatives. We are not discouraged because we understand the pressures that Governors face. So, today, I want to use this special occasion of your visit to specifically solicit your cooperation for the active participation of Nasarawa state in the Land Reforms Task Team and to also use your influence within the Governors’ Forum to get other Governors involved in this important national assignment,” he said. The land offered by the Nasarawa state government is a 24.62-hectare piece of land located at Auta-Balefi in Karu Local Government Area of the state, and represents the pilot site for the Renewed Hope Cities Project in the state.   ...

The Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmad Musa Dangiwa, has called on professional surveyors in  Nigeria to use their expertise to drive innovation, progress and positive change in the country. Arc Dangiwa who was represented by the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Abdullahi Tijjani Muhammad Gwarzo, made the call during the formal induction of 458 new surveyors held at Chida Hotel, Jabi, Abuja on Thursday. He said the induction represents a moment of great pride to the esteemed profession. The Minister advised the new surveyors that while navigating the challenges and opportunities ahead should keep in mind the principles of excellence and teamwork to achieve common goals as the profession is a service to society. He enjoined the senior colleagues and allied professional in the geospatial industry to inspire, motivate, and encourage the newly inducted surveyors as they embark on the vital task of shaping our built environment. "Your role as Surveyors is crucial in ensuring the integrity, safety, and sustainability of our communities because Surveying is ubiquitous." The Minister stated. Earlier, the Surveyor General of the Federation, Surveyor Abuduganiyu Adeyemi, had said surveying is considered a silent profession and plays a pivotal role in the sustainable development, territorial integrity and economic prosperity of any nation. The Surveyor General urged the newly inducted surveyors to be lifelong learners and be ambassadors of change who always advocate for progress and custodians of Nigerian's Geospatial heritage. ...

Decent Housing for Police Personnel a Priority for FG - Dangiwa … says over N10 billion Mortgage loans, others disbursed to Force so far The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has assured the Nigerian Police Force of the federal government's commitment towards providing decent and affordable housing to its officers and men across the country.  The Minister gave the assurance while speaking at the maiden edition of the Nigeria Police Housing Summit held at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.  He noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda for Housing is a holistic plan to ensure every Nigerian, including members of the Force, has access to decent and affordable housing. He said the theme of the Summit, “Renewed Hope for Police Housing in Nigeria", speaks to the acknowledgement of past challenges, the commitment to overcoming them, and the optimism for a brighter future. Speaking through the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Shehu Usman Osidi, Dangiwa reiterated the essence of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, and urged the Force to embrace strategic partnerships with Housing agencies like the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Housing Authority towards realising decent, affordable and safe housing for officers and men of the Force. He outlined some of the outcomes of previous engagements between the Federal Mortgage and the NPF to include; over N2.9 Billion in mortgage loans disbursed to 807 police beneficiaries, N2.1 Billion disbursed to the Police Cooperative Housing Development Company to construct 806 housing units, about N158 Million disbursed to 22 beneficiaries under the Rent-to-Own platform, and over N289 Million as Home Renovation Loan to 316 officers. Other initiatives according to the Minister also include the funding of ongoing housing projects for the Police Cooperative in various locations in Abia, Adamawa, Ogun, Kaduna and the FCT; the refund of a cumulative sum of over N1.8 Billion to 18,619 retired police officers, as well as N3 Billion in mortgage loans to the Nigeria Police MultiPurpose Cooperative Society and Nigeria Police Force Property Development and Construction Company Ltd. for the construction of 236 housing units at Goza, Wawa District, Abuja. He decried the long term relegation of the issue of police housing, which has resulted in dire consequences for both the officers and the communities they serve, and commended the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for convening the Summit with the right set of critical stakeholders, central to resolving the challenge of providing shelter to the rank and file of the Nigeria Police. " Our police officers are the frontline defenders of law and order, often working tirelessly under challenging conditions. The inadequate housing facilities only aggravate their challenges, impacting their morale, well-being, and ultimately, their effectiveness in ensuring the safety and security of the nation" he stated  Similarly, the minister noted  that “Collaboration is essential in harnessing resources, expertise, and innovative solutions to accelerate the pace of development. Through strategic alliances and creative financing mechanisms, we can overcome the constraints that have hampered progress and deliver tangible results within a reasonable timeframe,” Earlier in his address, IGP Egbetokun, alluding to the importance of the Summit, disclosed that “the housing capacity of the Force is about 10-12% of the over 400,000 workforce,” and “due to long years of neglect, the existing and available barracks accommodations are largely unsuitable and incompatible with 21st century policing architecture that we desire to build.” He noted that the Summit was conceived as a platform to discuss and dilate ideas to actualize their vision of accessible and affordable housing for officers and men of the Nigeria Police and would be held on a yearly basis henceforth.   ...