Housing Ministry, LGs' Departments Collaborate on Slum Upgrading, Urban Renewal Programme  Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is to collaborate with the nation's local government departments of Works, Housing, Transportation and Environment on slum upgrading and Urban Renewal Programme in selected states of the federation. This was affirmed  when the leadership of the National Association of Directors of Local Government Departments of Works, Housing, Transport and Environment in Nigeria paid a study and advocacy visit to the Honourable Minister,  Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa in his office. The representatives of the association were led on the visit to the housing ministry by its National President, Musa K. Adamu. Minister Dangiwa told the delegation that beyond housing delivery, the ministry is embarking on slum upgrade and urban renewal in selected states across the country, hence the need for closer collaboration with the relevant local government department's in the selected states in the execution of the programme. "Through this programme, we are upgrading communities deemed not fit for human habitation by all standards and transforming them into decent, liveable communities.  We will do this by providing infrastructure like roads, water, sanitation, and other amenities. This means we will be needing the support and collaboration of your members in these places to make our work easy" he said. Similarly,  the minister also remarked that "As Directors and Heads of departments of works, housing, transport, and environment, you have an important role to play in driving policies at the local government levels". He also disclosed that the housing ministry is working on another programme under the National Social Housing which will be deployed to the Local Government Areas . " Under the National Social Housing Programme, the Federal Government wants to build 100 decent and affordable accommodations in each of the 774 Local Government Areas to the low income and underprivileged citizens" he stated  On requests made by the association for involvement in development matters, policies and projects that are crucial to the welfare of the localities, the Minister assured them that the ministry would invite them for its subsequent annual Council meetings as observers as well as encourage agencies under the ministry to collaborate with them on housing delivery. Earlier in his remarks, the National President of the Association Musa Adamu told the minister that the study and advocacy visit provided them the opportunity to commend the developmental efforts of the ministry. He appealed on behalf of the Association to the Minister to partner with them in revitalising their departments for optimal performance and grassroots development. Adamu said they were optimistic that the Honourable Minister would use his office to take decisions that would foster  harmonious relationships between the Ministry and Local Governments in Nigeria.   ...

Housing Ministry, IWCC Collaborate to Promote UN-HABITAT Programmes in Nigeria  Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and International Women Communication Center (IWCC), under the UN Habitat World Urban Campaign have expressed readiness of collaboration to promote and strengthen the UN-Habitat intervention programmes and projects in Nigeria. Programmes, particularly in the area of socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities, implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG), and the New Urban Agenda would receive deserved attention. Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development,  Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo gave this assurance when he received a delegation from the International Women Communication Centre (IWCC), led by its Executive Director,  Dr. Hajiya Limoto Goroso Giwa on a courtesy visit to the Ministry,  Thursday,  April 18th, 2024 IWCC is a UN-Habitat stakeholder organization founded by a group of women rights activists with the mandate to  disiminate the implementation of the UN-Habitat agenda at the community level, protects and promotes women rights and carry out advocacy activities.  Gwarzo, in his remarks reiterated the primary mandate of the Ministry to provide adequate and affordable housing in both urban and rural areas in a secure, healthy and decent environment for all Nigerians, pointing out that it was also one of the cardinal focus of President Bola Ahmed  Tinubu's administration in actualizing the renewed hope agenda. He stated that the Ministry plans to bring the mandate to reality through multi-stakeholder and institutional engagements, alongside collaborations with both local and international development partners  " The Ministry is therefore a willing partner and ready to find mutually beneficial points of collaboration with your organization for the greater good of our country and citizens” he said  Accordingly, Gwarzo recalled the inauguration of the Habitat Advisory Committee in October 2022, stressing on their responsibilities to assess the progress and current status in the implementation the New Urban Agenda and related targets of SDGs and advise the Ministry on the way forward; to facilitate the preparation of the Voluntary National Report on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the related SDGs in Nigeria, among others.   Earlier the Executive Director of the IWCC Dr. Hajiya Limoto Goroso Giwa, expressed happiness that Nigeria is taking the lead in the UN-Habitat, being the chair of the executive board. She appealed to the Honourable Minister for Nigeria to host the 2024 Urban October and also as the UN-Habitat Executive Board Chair to support the delegation at the 12th  World Urban Forum which would be held in Cairo, Egypt. Dr Giwa also explained that the World Urban Forum which aims at accelerating the achievement of urbanization would this year focus on six focus areas namely: housing our future, cities and climate crisis, financing localization and localizing finance the issue of urban agenda, putting people first in a digital era, amongst others. The Executive Director also encouraged  Nigeria to take the lead in the African Regional Meeting coming up in Ethiopia and also at a high level meeting in New York on the 14th of July to discuss the SDG 9 and 11 which focuses on human settlement.   ...

HOUSING MINISTRY COMMENCES ALLOCATION FOR THE SALE OF HOUSES UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING PROGRAMME The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has concluded the allocation for the first batch of completed houses across the states of the Federation, for successful applicants under the National Housing Programme (NHP). This was contained in a Press statement on Monday by the office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi. In the release, the Permanent Secretary stated that the first batch of the allocation process was concluded after a review of the conditions and procedures for sales of houses under the National Housing Programme (NHP) as conveyed in a circular with Ref. No. DPBH/645/1/643 from the Ministry on the 29th of December, 2023. He disclosed that out of a total of 8925 applications that were received, 1294 were for Outright payment, 2408 for Mortgage, 2184 for Rent to own and 3039 were for installmental payment modes. Ogunbiyi  informed the general public that the offer of New Provisional Allocation Letters for the first batch of successful applicants under the Outright Payment mode are now ready, adding that the successful subscribers would be contacted by the Federal Controllers of Housing and Urban Development in the states as well as the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) as from Thursday 18 April, 2024 for collection. “Applicants under the Mortgage, Rent to own and Installmental payment modes who should be subscribers to the National Housing Fund (NHF) are presently undergoing profiling”, he added. The Permanent Secretary however noted that there are no completed houses in Abia, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers States and the FCT; “Allocation of houses in these states will be done upon the completion of the housing units later in the year”, he stated. ...