Housing Ministry Will Ensure Disability Friendly Buildings, Compliance  - Dangiwa    The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has assured that it is mindful of all the relevant sections in the provisions of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 that ensures the rights to accessible structures for persons with disabilities.   Minister of Housing and Urban Development Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa gave this assurance when a delegation from National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) paid him a courtesy visit.   He acknowledged that housing was key to human development as well as a human right to all Nigerians as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and as such the Ministry was mindful of all the provisions in the Act establishing the Commission in ensuring that houses being delivered were mindful of the Accessibility Act or Regulations in the document.   “We are glad that you brought the document to us today, we will henceforth look at it to ensure that our houses are very much affordable, accessible and acceptable to the commission”, he said.    He informed that the Housing Ministry being one of the first few Ministries that has adopted the regulations in the document, has started the implementation with actions such as the addition of a ramp at the entrance of the Ministry to enable easy access to people with disabilities and the installation of an elevator to assist staff and visitors within this category access offices upstairs.   On section 7  of the Act which mandated that Persons With Disabilities should be first considered in accessibility to houses constructed by government, Dangiwa assured the commission that his ministry would comply, emphasising that maximum  scrutiny of building plans would be done before approval of building plan to certify provision of accessibility facilities are incorporated.   Accordingly, the Minister stated that the ministry is mindful of the penalty against defaulting any of  the regulations.   The Minister further explained that the ministry has demonstrated it in its public buildings by making sure all the federal secretariat buildings Nationwide being managed by the Ministry are fully equipped with accessibility facilities.   He noted that among the plans rolled out for all Nigerians including the persons with disabilities under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu include groundbreaking for the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates program in 13 states and FCT.   To this end, he disclosed that the housing units being built under the program are made affordable, accessible and acceptable to Nigerians through ownership options such as outright purchase, installmental payment, mortgage and rent-to-own, to which the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) provides a single digit interest rates to run for thirty years.     The Minister further explained  that the houses are being built organically to allow owners build  more rooms as their income or family increases.   In the area of urban renewal, Dangiwa also notified the delegation that the National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade has been flagged off in twenty eight sites, four sites each in each geopolitical zone and the FCT, respectively. “This entails accessible roads, drainages, water supply, sanitation and solar street lights to some of the identified slum areas”, he explained.   Accordingly, Minister Dangiwa told the team that the Ministry is also pursuing the establishment of National Social Housing Fund (NSHF) for the provision of accessible housing to all Nigerians,  targeting  the low and no income, underprivileged as well as the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).   “We want to ensure that we have a minimum of 100 houses in the 774 local governments Nationwide where the underprivileged, IDPs as well as the no income have access to affordable housing”, he said.   The Minister also added that the Ministry has commenced the sale of houses built  under the National Housing Program through advertisements,  assuring the delegation  the Ministry would avail them with the location of the housing units for accessibility.   He commended the presentation of the document containing the provisions of the discrimination against persons with disabilities prohibition act of 2018, assuring that it would be passed across to the design department to ensure further compliance with the regulations.   Speaking earlier,  Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons Living with Disabilities and  leader of  the delegation, James David Lalu, PhD, made an appeal for  the ministry to consider Persons Living with Disabilities in Renewed Hope Housing Estates as it would enable them own a home of their own.   While stating some of the relevant provisions of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 that ensure the rights to accessible  structures for persons with disabilities, Lalu appealed for compliance to ensure that houses for its members include necessary adjustments to accommodate their disabilities.   "The regulation is what the persons living with disabilities want to see in the public buildings," adding "all the necessary specifications, designs, accessibility facility to be fitted in the public buildings so that our people will have have access to public building," he spoke passionately.   ...

Housing Ministry, World Bank Collaborate on National Land Documentation, Titling Programme.   *  move can unlock $300 Billion in Dead Capital * Sues for establishment of National Land Commission to operationalise Land Use Act   The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has announced plans to partner with the World Bank Group towards conducting a National Land Documentation and Titling Programme in the country.   Speaking at the Workshop Nigerian Livable Cities organised by the Ministry in collaboration with the World Bank, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, said the move has become necessary to explore the potential of land as an economic asset which is yet to be fully tapped by the country.   The event, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, was aimed at fostering understanding and mapping out modalities towards the successful implementation of the World Bank’s Urban Livability and Mobility programme in Nigeria.    "It is a comprehensive initiative that encompasses sub-programs that are very important to us. This includes housing and land management, urban services delivery, climate change action, urban management and finance, and transportation," Dangiwa noted.   In the area of land, he deferred to statistics which show that less than 10% of land in Nigeria is registered and has titles. "As a result, landowners cannot easily leverage land as an economic asset. This is sad and unfortunate. As part of our land reforms we are exploring a partnership with the World Bank towards the implementation of a National Land Registration and Titling Programme.   "Through this programme, we aim to partner with State Governments towards improving land formalisation from less than 10% to 50% in the next ten years. This is critical to unlocking over $300bn in dead capital. We have already worked on a draft framework for the programme and I have directed the Ministry’s focal persons and Consultant to share with the World Bank Group so we can begin the process towards adoption and implementation," he said.   He added that the programme is an  important component in the Ministry's land reforms strategy and will complement the Ministry’s plans to set up a National Land Commission to operationalize the Land Use Act.   The Nigeria Urban Livability and Mobility Programmatic Analytics and Advisory Services (ULM PASA) was launched by the World Bank to provide the Federal and State governments with technical support to improve the design and implementation of development policies and programs in selected Nigerian cities to enhance their livability, competitiveness and resilience.   To this end, the Minister said "the workshop provides a platform to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and forge partnerships that will propel our cities towards sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth. We must harness the power of collaboration and leverage the expertise and experience of the World Bank to develop innovative solutions that address the multifaceted problems facing our cities."   Dangiwa took out time to reel out the efforts of the Federal Government towards developing livable and sustainable cities, including the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme which aims to deliver 50,000 housing units in the first phase.    He explained "Our cities, once strongholds of economic growth and social progress, are now grappling with an array of complexities: rapid urbanization, infrastructure deficits, environmental degradation, climate change, housing deficit, poor service delivery and social inequality. These challenges, while daunting, also present immense opportunities for innovation and transformation.   Accordingly, the Minister stated also that establishing new cities and estates provides an opportunity for deliberate planning and designing of urban spaces that are not only beautiful in addition to landscape, but also promote efficiency and sustainability.   Stating further " This is more so given the climate challenges that we face in ensuring that the housing sector contributes its quota to helping our country meet its green gas reduction targets. At the Ministry, we believe that implementing green building techniques, efficient waste management, and creating green spaces can contribute to a healthier and more environmentally friendly urban landscape”.   The World Bank Task Team Leader, Fuad Malkawi, presented the preliminary findings of the World Bank analytical review of Nigerian cities which he said were at the risk of disaster exposure due to inadequate infrastructure and basic social services as a result of rapid growth.   The workshop had two panel discussion sessions on; key priorities of state governments to improve Urban Livability and on Institutional Constrains to Improving Urban Livability. Participants at the workshop include states' commissioners and senior government officials responsible for lands, environment and housing matters.   States that attended the workshop were; Anambra, Abia, Edo, Kaduna. Kano,  Lagos, Oyo, Rivers and Plateau    The main objective was helping Nigerian cities to become more livable through collaborative deliberation on key urban policies, challenges, and institutional barriers hindering the effective implementation of urban development programs at the state and city levels.   Recommendations presented at the end of the workshop include; addressing the challenges of inaccurate data, reducing pressure on existing services due to rapid urban growth through adequate urban planning, controlling development along flood plains, developing programmes in line with government policies to drive urban livability, investing in climate smart infrastructure and services through prioritization process, and facilitating the review of the Land Use Act 1978 (1999 as amended).   Others are the development of a Drainage Master Plan for flood control, and a National Urban Programme to operationalize the National Urban Development Policy, the creation of City Administrations by State Governments backed by political will and Legal framework and improving their roles in service delivery, as well as integrating disaster resilience and early warning systems with State development plans, among others. ...

Ministry of Finance Incorporated Explores Collaborative Areas with Housing Ministry   *  We have Structures on ground to leverage on -  Dangiwa *      FMHUD, Key Collaborator -  MOFI   Minister of Housing and Urban Development Arc Ahmed Dangiwa has told the Ministry of Finance incorporated (MOFI) that housing ministry has so many existing structures on ground for MOFI to leverage on, in its quest to carry out its supervising function of government enterprises.   Dangiwa stated this when he received members of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) on a visit to his ministry and presented a strategic partnership proposal to the ministry    MOFI, is a subsidiary under the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, responsible for supervising assets and investments of the federal government owned enterprises, interests, estates and rights.    The Minister told MOFI that, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), an Agency under the Housing Ministry has branches in all the 36 States of the federation, including  lands with various mortgages to cater for the housing needs of Nigerians, urging MOFI to work with FHA regardless of their developers to create a healthy competition.   He said "most of the federal government assets are being managed by the ministry of housing and urban development.   " One of the deliverables of the ministry under this administration is reforming the Housing Institutions and the ministry is doing everything possible to recapitalize the Federal Mortgage Bank. FHA has been partially commercialized to invest in the capital market by constructing and selling  houses", he stated    In the same vein, Dangiwa disclosed that, the Ministry plans to generate Two Trillion Real Estate Investment, which is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 's Renewed Hope agenda and inorder to make this a reality, he added that the ministry decided to partner with Public Private Partnership which is the biggest aspect of the funding structure.     Speaking earlier, the Chief Executive Officer and managing Director of the MOFI, Dr. Armstrong Ume Takang, told the Minister that the essence of their visit was to support what Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is doing to use government platform to  mobilize funds.    He explained that proper Titles to Assets especially landed properties can unlock capital to do other things, adding that most properties both in rural and urban areas don't have proper titles including  government properties.   The MD described the ministry of housing as a key collaborator in achieving their primary objective of long term, low- cost mortgage financing at scale for Nigerians.   He stated that asset optimization in line with National Housing and Urban Development goals, facilitates capital base for housing and urban development renewal and ensures seemless integration between asset management and urban planning initiatives.   Dr. Takang further disclosed that MOFI's aim is to create jobs through construction and urban development projects, skills development programs in real estate and property management, as well as affordable housing initiatives for low and middle income families.   " There should be a Mechanism where people can find affordable loans with long term payment plan of monthly payment, in that case, the demand will be high and when demands are high you are creating more jobs for developers, not only meeting the demands but also improving Urban development", he explained    "We need more money to build houses, we need more money to provide mortgages, we need to be creative on how we source the money", He added.   ...