Nigeria And Turkey Need More Collaboration-Minister The Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engineer Abubakar D. Aliyu has emphasized the need for more collaboration between Nigeria and Turkey in order to achieve greater success in the development of both countries especially as they share common development goals. Engineer Aliyu made this emphasis when he received on behalf of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Turkish Minister of Trade, Her Excellency Rushar Peckan who paid a courtesy call on the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. Engineer Ali said, “In order to achieve success in our development since Nigeria and Turkey have common development goals, there is need to share knowledge in technological investment and collaborate in engineering design and construction for the purpose of providing infrastructure for development”. The Minister expressed the willingness of the Ministry of Works and Housing to collaborate with investors in the road infrastructure sector. He added that his Ministry was ready to partner with Turkey in the following areas: The development of various Greenfield and Brownfield projects across the nation,  mass development of affordable housing in selected city centres across Nigeria, capacity development and mentoring for Public-Private partnership officials. Earlier, the Minister of Trade for the Republic of Turkey, Her Excellency, Rushar Pekan disclosed that the purpose of the visit was to seek increased collaboration with the Ministry of Works and Housing with the view to increase Turkey’s trade volume in Nigeria in road construction and engineering. Pekan who described Nigeria as one of the most important countries and the biggest economy in Africa noted that Nigeria had great potential in road construction and engineeringadding that her country was blessed with experts in that field. She therefore urged the ministry to consider Turkish investors in those areas. She was accompanied on the visit by the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Melih Ulueren and some Turkish investors. ...

Senate Moves To Ensure Provision Of Affordable Housing For Poor Nigerians The Senate on Thursday mandated its Committee on Housing to urgently work out modalities with the various stakeholders in the National Housing Development sector to ensure the implementation of affordable housing for the poorest Nigerians. The resolution was reached after consideration of a motion on the “Urgent need to reform the Housing Policy and Mortgage Financing in Nigeria to meet the escalating housing demand in the country.” Sponsor of the motion, Albert Bassey Akpan, said low and middle class income earners constitute the largest active population in Nigeria. This population, according to him, finds it difficult to have access to housing in their lifetime. He recalled that the creation of the National Housing Fund through the National Housing Fund (NHF) Act of 1992 was specifically intended to cater for Nigerians in line with the various Housing policies and International Conventions and Treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory. Akpan stated that by virtue of the provisions of the NHF Act, a working class Nigerian is required to contribute 2.5 percent of his or her monthly salary to the fund which provides the source of funding to the Primary Mortgage Institutions (PMIs). He said, “Access to the fund through the PMI is cumbersome due to stringent and complex eligibility criteria which makes the development of housing through the fund challenging or practically impossible to date.” “Since the creation of the fund in 1992, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria as at 2013 disbursed only N100.5 billion. “In 2015, out of 4 million registered contributors to the fund, only 60,000 (1.5%) were able to access mortgage loans through the funds, leading to the construction of only 40,653 houses across the country,” Akpan said. The lawmaker further lamented that there exist little or no impact of the National Social Housing Development Programme in the country over the years owing to the escalating population growth in Nigeria. “There is dire and urgent need for a total review of our National Housing Policy framework to meet the needs of our people, especially the poorest Nigerians in line with the various International Conventions/Treaties of which Nigeria is a signatory,” Bassey said. In his contribution, Senator Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun East) called on the Federal Government to undertake an immediate overhaul of the country’s housing policies with a view to easing the burdens of poor Nigerians. “There is need to reorganise the housing policy, so that it will benefit the whole of Nigerians as soon as possible,” he said. Another lawmaker, Senator Binos Yaroe Dauda (PDP, Adamawa South) described Housing as “one of the fundamental needs of man.” The lawmaker, who called for a review of housing policies and mortgage financing, added, “It is important for this sector to be reformed, so that our people can have houses.” ...

We Are Critical Stakeholders To Create 10 Million Jobs For Nigerians-Fashola The Honourable e Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN has declared that his Ministry is strategizing towards playing a vital role in supporting President Mohammadu Buhari’s determination to create 10 million jobs for Nigerians, especially for the teaming youths. He made the declaration today at the 25th meeting of the National Council on Works in Calabar, Cross River State. The theme of the Council Meeting is ‘’ Infrastructure as the pathway for prosperity’’ which according to  him was carefully chosen to address the complex issues  of road infrastructure development in the country with the view to proffering tangible solutions to some of the problems in Nigeria , thereby giving the good people of Nigeria  qualitative services  they deserve. Fashola who was ably represented by the Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu maintained that it behoves on all Stakeholders in the Works sector to find new enduring possibilities on how to establish the link between infrastructure development and job creation, poverty alleviation and empowerment of the informal sector in ensuring that the 10 million jobs target for the next ten years by Mr. President was   achieved. The Minister disclosed that his Ministry would effectively collaborate with other relevant agencies saddled with similar responsibilities of monitoring, maintenance and survey of roads network in Nigeria with the view to develop them to the desired standard. He commended the Government and the good of Cross River State for providing a safe and conducive environment for the 25th Meeting of the National Council on Works and hosting the prestigious annual International Calabar Carnival event which according to him has made the ancient city, not only, a global home for entertainment but also a veritable economic hub  to reckon with , in South- South Nigeria. In his address, the Executive Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency, Prof. Ben. Ayade who was represented by his Deputy, Prof. Ivara Esu urged the Federal Road Maintenance Agency to rise up to the challenge of road  maintenance , ‘’ We have thrown overboard our maintenance culture, let us revive our road maintenance culture, let us maintain the roads so that the failing path will not expand the more’’ he said. While commending the Management and staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, and all the Stakeholders in the Works Sector for considering his state worthy to host the 25th Meeting of the National Council on Works, Ayade called on Federal Government to reconstruct the failed highways  in his State with concrete , adding that the Ikom, Itu, Bakasi and Katsina-Ala highways  were vital and  of Scio- economic importance to Cross River State in particular and Nigeria in general. ...