Builders' Day: Housing Ministry, NIOB Partners to End Building Collapse   The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) have assured that the two parties would work closely to put an end to the menace of building collapse in the country. The Housing Minister,  Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, gave this strong assurance when he received the leadership of the NIOB, led by its National President, Bldr. (Sir) Alderton Ewa Ewa on a visit to his office.  "The Ministry is ready to stop the menace of building collapse across the country. The presence of the Institute is a proof of the importance of collaboration between the government and the builders in the pursuit of a sustainable development for the government," he said. He also stated that the stakeholders engagement is a vital ingredient in the policies that the government needs to drive in the housing and urban development, saying that it is in line with the agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Accordingly, the minister took note of all the concerns tabled before him by NIOB and was assured of immediate action that would improve the building sector and enhance the quality of housing, especially in the urban areas. Dangiwa stated, " As the Institute is set to mark the annual Builders Day on the 13th March, the pressing issue is to tackle building collapse in the country. It's an embarrassment to the country where there are professionals such as architects, engineers, planners and surveyors; the building collapse is avoidable." He explained that the solution to challenging the issue of building collapse is to avoid the use of substandard materials, ensure proper supervision, and also certified approvals. Speaking earlier, the President of the NIOB, Bldr, Alderton Ewa Ewa expressed the Institute's unwavering commitment to partnering with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in achieving it's vision and collaborate towards achieving shared goals. He highlighted some of the key areas for collective action, like: Successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estate, High cost of building materials, Land Availability, Accessible financing and others. The President also told the minister that the Builders' Day 2024 event on the 13th of March is an advocacy against building collapse, creating awareness on the need for stakeholders on building projects to adhere strictly to standards, codes of practice, and building regulations. The high point of the visit was the decoration of the Honourable Minister as an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Building  The NIOB, is a professional body for builders and those who are about to be engaged in the building profession. ...

We are Committed to PULAAKU Initiative Implementation - Dangiwa ….. embraces partnership with Refugees Commission Minister of Housing and Urban Development Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has stated that the federal government is committed to ensuring successful implementation of the Pulaaku initiative to make substantial difference in the lives of those who are Internally Dispalced as a result of banditry and other forms of violence. The Minister made this known when he received a delegation from the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) on a visit to his office  Recall that Dangiwa was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Chairman of the Steering Committee for the implementation of the Pulaaku Initiative, a large-scale resettlement programme aimed at addressing the root causes of farmers-herders conflicts and fostering national unity in seven states of the Country. The Minister stated that the provision of 7,000 housing units across the seven states is an attestation to a collective determination to foster resilience and stability in communities.  “This initiative embodies the spirit of compassion, solidarity, and inclusivity, values that are integral to our vision of a prosperous and harmonious society”, he said. The Minister embraced a partnership with the Refugees Commission,  noting that with it's input, the Pulaaku Initiative would achieve greater success being that the target beneficiaries of the program falls directly within their mandate; “You know where they are, you have all the relevant information about them”, he added. He also expressed optimism that the synergy with the Commission, leveraging respective strengths would ensure that the Pulaaku Initiative achieves its objectives and in turn create a brighter future for all those affected by displacement and violence. On his part, the Federal Commissioner, NCFRMI, Aliyu Tijjani Ahmed, commended the appointment of the Housing Minister as the Chairman of the Steering Committee for the implementation of the Pulaaku project. While he decried the alarming rate of 6.1 million registered displaced persons currently in the country, he informed the Minister of their efforts so far in providing shelter for the internally displaced persons in some states like Zamfara, Nasarawa, Maidugiri, Kano and Edo State. The Commissioner further appealed for a collaboration with the Honourable Minister in his capacity as the chairman of the steering committee for the Pulaaku initiative to provide a lasting solution that would address the predicament of the IDP’s. ...

Borno, Nasarawa Governors Commit to Providing Land to Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme …Housing Minister reiterates commitment to Leveraging Public Private Partnerships to Tackle Housing Deficit Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule and his Borno counterpart, Prof. Babagana Zulum have moved to make land available in their respective states for the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme of the Federal Government. This is in a bid to ensure their citizens become early beneficiaries of the affordable housing programme. They gave the assurance to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa during the commissioning of the first phase and flag-off of the second phase of the Nasarawa Technology Village in Karu Local Government Area of the state on Monday 11th March 2024. Delivering his address, Governor Sule commended the effort of the Federal Government in the housing sector through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, noting that initial actions show signs of good things to come in the sector. “What we are doing here today is in line with the vision of Mr. President for the housing sector. Making homes accessible to our people is a priority of the Nasarawa State Government, just as it is a focus of the Federal Government. “I heard my dear brother, the Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development talk about the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates project during his speech. Let me assure you that we already have land waiting for you here in Nasarawa state. We are ready to become one of the pilot states for the project because we know how important housing is to the welfare of our people and the economic development of our dear state, and the country at large,” he said. He added that the Technology Village, which is expected to have around 1,962 housing units, is a combination of affordable shelter and a technology hub, in the form of Silicon Valley in the USA with offices for local and international IT companies, training facilities for over 2,000 students annually as software engineers, and a framework to connect them to global ICT jobs, so as to bring about sustainable development in the State. On his part, the Borno State Governor, noted that the state government had already concluded on the issue of land for the Renewed Hope housing project in Borno state, stating that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has earmarked Borno as one of the states to be captured in the first phase of the programme. “The Nasarawa state Governor said he wants to beat me to it by allocating land for the Renewed Hope project, not knowing that he’s already late to the party. The issue of land for the Federal Ministry of Housing to build the Renewed Hope project in Borno state is a done deal. You can ask the Honourable Minister, that matter has been concluded already. It is an exciting project and we are so happy we have keyed in as a state. “The importance of shelter cannot be overemphasized. It is a very important need and if we can secure decent shelter for our people, we would’ve solved a major part of all their challenges. This is why I congratulate my brother, the Nasarawa state Governor for this project because I know it will be of immense benefit to the people of the state,” he said. Speaking earlier, Arc. Dangiwa underscored the importance of providing access to quality and decent housing as a prerequisite to dignified living and productivity. He commended the initiative of the Nasarawa state government in leveraging Public Private Partnerships for housing delivery, noting that it is the way to go. “At the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, PPPs are also our focus as we work hard at delivering our Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, which His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, officially launched in February with the groundbreaking ceremony for a 3,112-housing unit in Karsana. “The 3,112 Karsana Renewed Hope City is part of a 100,000-housing unit project to be delivered nationwide under a Public Private Partnership with a consortium of reputable developers. Under this arrangement, developers are to source for construction financing while the Ministry creates an enabling environment and provides bankable off taker guarantees. 20,000 housing units are billed to be built in the FCT. I am happy to say that we plan to build a substantial number of these units in Nasarawa State.  A notable project is to be sited in Gbagadalape at the boundary between Nasarawa State and the FCT (near Abacha Barracks). We have engaged the Hon. Minister of the FCT to help open the access road there to enable us to begin work. These expansions and siting of cities on the outskirts of the FCT will help decongest the city center, lessen pressure on infrastructure and create jobs in the FCT and Nasarawa State,” he said. ...