The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • Minister warns land buyers

    Minister warns land buyers

    The Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ms. Amal Pepple has advised land buyers in Abuja to be careful.

    The Minister gave the advice during the commemoration of the World Habitat Day in Abuja.

    The said at the event entitled: Changing cities, building opportunities, that when buying lands in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), they should make ensure that the land papers including the titles were in their hands.

    She said: “I would advise people to be careful with how they buy lands, and where they build their houses, with the recent demolition on Airport road, Abuja, an estate like that should have a title.

    “Demolition can be an answer for so many reasons, like when people build on waterways, or transgress by building on properties that do not belong to them. Then demolition can come in. But there should be a human face to all this.

    “This 2012 alone, the ministry has given out 89 lands to private developers in all parts of the country, yet I can still tell you that there are challenges with some of the lands given to these developers. Some of the houses or lands that have had challenges through the ministry, it is making arrangement to pay back the money, but not immediately.”

    She also said: “We cannot build enduring, inclusive, functional, livable and resilient cities if our pre-occupation is with the planning and development of mega cities only.

    “On the contrary, we need to maximise the opportunities available in intermediate cities and small towns by ensuring the proper planning and utilisation of their territorial spaces before they degenerate fast into slums and inhabitable human settlements.

    “This requires taking a holistic and futuristic view of planning rather than the otherwise myopic planning of our national agenda on urban development, which we are committed to implementing with all the  key stakeholders in the housing and urban development sector through the instrumentality of the recently approved National Housing Urban Development policies by government.”

    She said the most important need for harnessing the opportunities in the cities was to ensure peace and security, adding that the bad experience being faced by some urban dwellers in some parts of the country caused by violence was alien to our culture.

    The Senate Committee Chairman on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Senator Buka Abba Ibrahim, pointed at the negative public perception, apathy and ignorance about the need for developing the cities to provide good opportunities for growth and development.

  • NESREA introduces regulations to combat environmental disaster

    NESREA introduces regulations to combat environmental disaster

    Following floods in some parts of the country, the National Environmental Standards Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has introduced four new regulations to combat the menace.

    The regulations were rolled out at the Annual Regulatory Dialogue in Abuja by the Minister of the Environment, Mrs Hadiza Mailafia.

    She attributed the flooding to non-compliance with rules.

    She said: “The environment functions as source of raw materials and energy, a provider of services, such as maintenance of climatic system and ecological cycle and a sink for waste. Unfortunately, the functions of the ecosystem are under threat arising, particularly from disregard for environmental laws and regulations.

    “The key environmental challenges facing Nigeria include water pollution, indoor and outdoor air pollution, industrial pollution, biodiversity loss, erosion, flooding, land degradation, desertification, sprawling urban solid waste, open bush burning, noise pollution, environmental pollution and wildlife crimes, climate change, ozone depletion, etc. these can be situated in failure to keep the laws and regulations, man-made or natural.”, she explained

    The four new regulations are: National Environmental (Quarrying and blasting species) regulations, 2012; National Environmental (pulp and paper, wood and wood products) regulations, 2012; National Environmental (Motor vehicle assembly and miscellaneous assembly) regulations, 2012; and National Environmental (alien and invasive species) regulations.

    Mailafia, who was represented by Dr. Modupe Odubela, described environmental regulations as a body of rules that ensures sustainable use of resources and for the social and economic development of the society.

    According to her, environmental protection flows from a principle of a moral and ethical belief that citizens should protect the air, water and land.

    “Environmental governance is not all about government. As citizens of this country, we have a key role to play in promoting environmental governance and in ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment, she added.

    NESREA Director-General, Mrs. Ngeri Benebo stated that the laws are to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

    She called for a collective effort, stressing that the guideline will place stakeholders on the same page as individuals, governments, academia, and cooperate body.

    “We need to do something to better the environment, to care for it because we are all stakeholders of the environment. Let us put regulation that will stand the test of time,” she added.

    Speaking on flooding, the director-general stated that the recent flood is because of torrential rainfall and blocked drains.

    “Once there is going to be torrential rainfall and the drains are blocked, we will definitely have flooding but if the rain is not so much, with time the drains will flow but because government, state government, local government, some persons, you and I have, refused to clean our drains and torrential rainfall comes, then we will find out that there is problem.

    This is one of the things that contribute to flooding,” she said.

    She urged the citizens to shelve the idea that government has to do everything for them.

    “We should go away from the mentality that government has to clean the drain, government cannot clean the drain for you because you messed it up. Government made the drain for water to flow but you decided to put your trash in it, and that is not government duty”

    “Government had to take from its resources to start ensuring that there is succor for those affected and all these would have been avoided or the magnitude would have been reduced if we had done what we were supposed to do”, she added.

  • Lagos agency, group to train concrete workers

    DISTURBED by the incidence of collapsed buildings, the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory (LSMTL) and Building Collapsed Prevention Guild (BCPG) are planning to train concrete producers and workers in the state next month.

    BCPG has been championing the campaign against building collapse while organising bricklayers, concrete producers and workers in Lagos in the last four years.

    Speaking  with leaders of the workers in the state on the modalities of the training, Chairman, BCPG, Mr Kunle Awobodu, said  workers, operators and other artisans in concreting on construction sites, comprising iron welders, carpenters and bricklayers would be part of the seminar.

    He said BCPG was out to correct the problems in the sector.

    He appealed to the stakeholders to check the excesses of their workers.He told them that they have a role to play by refusing to work on any site where owners or developers fail to provide adequate materials.

    The Managing Consultant, LASMTL, a monitoring agency,  Mr Shola Famakin, urged concrete mixers to always liaise with the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) on training that would enhance their jobs.

    He assured them that his agency would be part of the training scheduled for Ikeja, Lagos.

    He said: “There is need to go back to the basis and do the right things that people have abandoned. There is need for us to have standards for casting of concrete for decking and house columns.

    “With the look of things, he said it would be made mandatory for engineers, concrete mixers and operators on construction sites to sign certification document before embarking on concrete works on sites, urging that there was need to collaborate to get good results.

    Chairman, NIOB, Lagos chapter, emphasised the need for quality work.

    Another staff member of the Lagos LSMTL, Mr Gboyega Abisogun, said there was need for stakeholders in the industry including builders, engineers, iron benders  and concreters to work together to correct various anomalies  in order to move the sector forward.

    He blamed concrete workers for shoddy mix of materials in most construction sites, saying impatience on their part was responsible.

    Leader of concrete workers from Mushin, Alhaji Owonimess, said it was the first time professionals in the building sector  were planning such a training for concrete workers.

    He said: “I have been on the job since 1968. It is what we threw away before now that we are coming back to. I have observed that the houses we did the concrete works in the past have not collapsed but the new ones. Something must be wrong.

    “We are going to work with BCPG and government to end this embarrassment.”

    Another leader, Alhaji Olarewaju Alabede, promised that concreters would talk to themselves, saying: “It is the right time to do the right thing.”

  • ‘Dearth of mortgage finance bad for prospective home owners’

    ‘Dearth of mortgage finance bad for prospective home owners’

    Mortgage banking plays a key role in the provision of affordable housing. It provides finance. Various statistics on housing and home ownership highlight the urgent need for development in the sector, in terms of financing and affordability. Mortgage bankers, under the aegis of the bMortgage Banking Association of Nigeria (MBAN), have offered a fresh insight into how the 17 million housing gap can be bridged through mortgage. They spoke at their second Housing Finance & Investment Conference in Lagos. OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE writes

    Lack of mortgage financing is the bane of housing. It is also the reason most measures by successive governments to lift home delivery have not impacted the sector, especially the low income earners.

    This was the view of mortgage bankers and industry experts, who spoke under tha aegis of Mortgage Banking Association of Nigeria (MBAN), at their yearly conference in Lagos at the weekend.

    According to them, housing is a socio-economic tool and an important aspect of microeconomic policy considerations, whose shortfall in the country has become a source of worry, especially with the dearth of long-term mortgage financing.

    They noted that the sector would need about N24 trillion mortgage funds to provide the 17 million houses to bridge the gap.

    To them, this amount should have been accessible if there were effective mortgage policies. Mortgage finance is put at a paltry five per cent in Nigeria leaving a huge gap in the financing of homes. However, it is a different story in some advanced countries. In the United States, mortgage accounts for 72 per cent housing finance; United Kingdom (78%), China (60) Korea (54) and 92 per cent in Singapore.

    They attributed the housing financing gap to inconsistent government policies, absence of a secondary mortgage system and the dearth of relevant professionals in policy decision that concerns housing.

    Managing Director/Chief executive Officer, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Mr Gimba Ya’U kumo, said the percentage of mortgage financing has been hampered by people not being able to keep to the terms of agreements and other challenges, such as death, disability, loss of employment , failure of businesses, over extended credit and, sometimes by living beyond one’s means.

    He said to bridge the 17 million housing deficit in the country, over N24 trillion was needed, at the cost of N2 million per unit. Also, N1 trillion would be required annually to to meet demand.

    Ya’U kumo regretted that nothing much had been done to get the sector to act as an employment generation catalyst to boost the GDP.

    He said: “The sector generates about 6.2 per cent of the aggregate employment in the United States, 22.3per cent in China and about 80 per cent in India.”

    The abysmal performance of the sector and widening funding gap has necessitated the urgent need for the development of a delivery and effective marketing strategy to boost public confidence and demand, he said, adding that government guarantees, incentives and subsidies were needed to entice private sector funds targeted at low cost housing.

    Ya’U kumo stressed that the gap could only be filled with the commitment of government to the sector in terms of funding and other incentives.

    The Central Bank Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido, who spoke as a regulator, said some key factors identified as the bane of mortgage financing, which has led to the N24 trillion gap in financing were weak capital, dearth of long-term funds, absence of mortgage refinancing or a secondary market and high cost of funds.

    The CBN boss, who was represented by the Director, Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department, Mr Femi Fabamwo, said other factors for the gap included titling challenges, poor legal framework, inadequate housing delivery systems and high cost of property transactions.

    He said the apex bank was working to institute appropriate legal frameworks, accelerated development of affordable housing, a mortgage refinancing or liquidity firm and a national housing mortgage intervention fund.

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, while encouraging the Federal Government to play its part in lifting mortgage financing, said his administration has introduced a Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme tagged LAGOSHOMS — a rent-to-own scheme targeted at first-time home owners.

    He said a legal framework was in place to protect the rights of the mortgagee and mortgagor. Part of the legal framework, according to him, includes Lagos Mortgage and Property Law 2010; Tenancy Law 2011 no. 33 vol 9044; Housing Arbitration Rules 2011 and creation of mortgage departments in the state High Courts, whose sole purpose is to hear mortgage foreclosure matters for expeditious dispenseation of such cases.

    Fashola, who was represented by the Commissioner for Housing, Mr Bosu Jeje, said there is a department supervised by the Ministry of Housing which regulates transactions in the real estate sector.

    He said their efforts have led to the construction of over 886 housing units in some areas of the state , such as Gbagada, Epe, Ikorodu, Ikeja, Mushin, Lekki and Badagry.

    “While some of the units are ready and inaugurated, other constructions are ongoing. For example, we have Gbagada Phases 2A and 2B, Igbogbo 2A and B and others,” he added. He said opportunities and prospects abound in the sector.

    Fashola urged the private sector to invest in low income housing if the gap must be filled and in good time too. The government, according to him, cannot bear the cost alone.

    On what constitutes proper housing, the experts referred to a staement by the United Nation’s Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, at this year’s Word Habitat Day celebration. He said:“Better planned and better functioning cities where everyone has adequate shelter, water, sanitation, health and other basic services; cities with good education and job prospects; cities with energy-efficient buildings and public transport systems; cities where all feel they belong are what is globally accepted.”

  • Lagos gives nod for 581 building plan applications

    Lagos State Government has re-engineered its planning authority to be more responsive to public demands.

    The Commissioner for Physical Planning & Urban Development Toyin Ayinde, said the ministry has restructured the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) to deliver on its mandate by ensuring that building approval plans are approved on time.

    He said the agency has subsequently approved a backlog of  581 building plan applications in just five  days. Emphasising the importance of obtaining approval before construction, he said it is critical to the quality  of life in terms of urban planning and development and the ability of the government to provide services  conveniently to well-planned areas with approved buildings.

    He appealed to members of the public who may have submitted their building plans for approval to check in the District Offices in the next few days.

    The Commissioner charged other officers to brace to respond to the expectations of citizens and continue to render selfless service to the public.

    Ayinde warned that the government would not tolerate illegal developments, obstruction of road setbacks as well as building on drainage channels.

    According to him, the state government is desirous of bequeathing sustainable living environment to the present and future generations and will, henceforth, vigorously protect the use of common paths and public highways for pedestrians use.

    He advised the public to submit their plans for approval through the appropriate channels and refrain from seeking short cuts, adding that the ministry was better positioned to process building plan applications for approval.

    He urged the public to engage professionals in the design and construction of their buildings.

  • ‘How we’ll light up markets with wastes’

    ‘How we’ll light up markets with wastes’

    THE Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) is set to convert biodigestal wastes to methane to propel electricity generation in markets.

    The Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr Ola Oresanya, said the agency has begun a pilot scheme in Ketu Fruit Market to convert the organic waste generated in the market to electricity through a 1.5 KVA generating set that supplies energy needs in the market.

    He said the market was chosen because it has 100 per cent organic waste, which is easily converted to methane first, then, to electricity.

    He also said another method is thermal conversion, which makes wastes to burn faster in the process of generating electricity.

    He said the state was well-positioned to generate electricity from wastes due to its huge population of about 16 million people.

    Oresanya said the Olusosun dumpsite was generating electricity through the landfill site gas project which it intended to replicate on all landfill sites.The LAWMA boss also said from next year, the state would start earning income through carbon credit in line with the Kyoto Protocol.

    He said LAWMA has created an enabling environment/platform for wastes recycling with the reclamation of land at Olusosun landfill site for interested investors.

    The most recent rehabilitation at the landfill is the 1.3-kilometre service road begun in December 2011. It was completed last April. The road is composed of well- graded and compacted laterite fill to one metre thickness, and stone base of 1,000 metres, among other features.

    Practical gas extractor pipes are being installed and drilling is ongoing for more pipes installation. Also, the landfill site of about 42.7 hectares of land receives an average of 300 trucks of wastes daily.

    They are weighed to ascertain the quantity of waste going into the landfill.

  • Infrastructure development takes centre stage in local govt

    Infrastructure development takes centre stage in local govt

    Lagos State has become a reference point in infrastructural development in the country. This is as a result of the dynamism of Governor Babatunde Fashola, which has impacted on some areas in the state, including Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area.

    The local government is, probably the first in massive housing development, such as the FESTAC Housing Estate and the Durbar Hotel (now Golden Tulip Hotel), among others.

    Before now, the infrastructure development in this all-important axis that serves as the gateway to other West African countries was derelict until the massive infrastructure upgrade in the area recently.

    The Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area Council pushed the frontiers of transformation to a point where even the opposition and critics of the government applauded its drive.

    In the past four years of the administration, there have been alot of changes aimed at improving the lives of the people and preparing the environment for private sector investment that will not only enhance the revenue profile of the council but also create jobs and empower the people.

    The Local Government Chairman, Mr Ayodele Adewale, he said: “There are some things that the government needs to put in place to improve their living standards because government is all about the people.”

    “In preparing the local government to attract both local and foreign investments, Ayodele said the administration has, among other things, improved on its overstretched infrastructure; tightened security and also assisted in the education of its citizens who are expected to provide the needed manpower to feed the incoming investments.

    “This administration has executed many projects that have direct impact on the lives of the people and also geared towards attracting private sector investment. A major project in this drive, he said, is the rehabilitation and resurfacing of 21 Road (Phase One) starting from 11 Road Junction to12 Road and the interlocking of same.”

    He listed some of the road projects he completed as 72 Road, 24 Road, 51 Road, 52 Road, 31 Road, 71 Road, 32 Road and 4th Avenue.

    Others were the beautification of 41 road, First Gate, First and Second Avenues.

    ”In the same vein, we have provided 15 modern toilet facilities with boreholes, water treatment plant and 6KVA generators to power each plant,” he added.

    Ayodele revealed his administration intends to embark on more capital projects in his second term, including the rehabilitation of schools, encouragement of sport and investment in ICT to help reposition the youth to face the competition of the jet age.

    “The council,” he said, “has embarked on the renovation of 22 primary schools and the construction of one block of six classrooms at Igbologun. Importantly, this administration has also distributed 500 freeUTME forms and 600 GCE forms to indigent students in the last three years. Underscoring the importance the council put on education, the chairman said they went to the extent constructing a new one.”

    He also built an office for the Head Mistress at Sagbokoji Primary School and engaged the services of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) members to organise free tutorials for pupils, and renovated and refurbished the Abule Ado Vocational Centre.

    He recalled that former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was at the local government to inaugurate executed projects and also lay the foundation of proposed ones which would be private sector driven.

    On his projections for the local government in the future, he said: “We have a plan to develop a stadium, an industrial park and recreational centres. We also have plan to go into some form of real estate development that will yield two and three-bedroom apartments to accommodate the middle class and the expatriates that will work at the industrial areas.”

    On the funding, he said because the council has a market, the private sector was willing to partner with them.

    According to him, a microfinance institution has invested about N30million in real estate.

    He appealed to more developers to take advantage of the healthy investment climate and invest the area.

    On transportation, the local government chairman said his administration has moved to fill the gap following the ban on commercial motor cyclists and tricycle operators in FESTAC Town by the state government, by discussing with Ashok Leyland to release 100 buses to close that gap.

    He revealed the United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) Department is supporting the administration in bringing investment to the local government, which include a private sector investment of over $800 million in the power project.

    “So many of these projects and investments are nearing maturity stage; what is delaying them is the legal framework all things been equal we expect to roll out the first 50 buses that will be carrying at least 42 passengers each,” he said.

    The chairman said when these projects and investments mature and are operational,they would have the capacity to create many jobs that would empower the people.

    According to him, over 3,000 jobs will be generated from the transportation, the industrial area, the recreation centres, among others.

    There would be ample job opportunities for drivers, support staff and artisans such as vulcanisers, mechanics and even cleaners who will ensure the bus is clean always.The transportation sector will also employ administrative staff, including IT specialists, who will be engaged to monitor the movement of the buses, including legal and account staff.

    On health, he said his administration operates a health policy that provides free drugs to vulnerable age groups (0-16; 60 and above), and dispenses drugs at 10 per cent discount to others outside it; increases the number of doctors in its Primary Health Centres from one doctor to 21.

    “We have three major partners, including Profis Pharmaceutical, Sunlab and El-lab in our health drive. These are investors that are interested in our health care sector and they are really happy about their investment,” he added.

  • Ilorin descendants oppose state land policy

    The Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), a socio-cultural organisation, has demanded the abrogation of the Kwara State Legal Notice No 17 of 2009, which declares Ilorin and the Ilorin Emirate an urban area.

    IEDPU stated this in Ilorin, the state capital, at a public hearing in the House of Assembly, at the weekend.

    The group, in a paper signed by its National President, Justice Saka Yusuf (rtd), said: “That the Kwara State Legal Notice 44 published in the state Gazette No 17 Volume 43 of September 24, 2009 is not a law passed by the Kwara State House of Assembly and it is not even a resolution of the House of Assembly; that the legal notice being an order issue personally by the governor, does not require the involvement of the state House of Assembly before it could be amended, suspended or withdrawn by the governor; that the legal notice, in so far as it declares the whole of Ilorin Township and, in fact, the entire emirate, as an urban area, is unacceptable to the people of the emirate, bearing in mind the unsavoury implications which that declaration has within the context of the Land Use Act.

    It said these include: “The power of issue customary right of occupancy on customary land, which the Land Use Act confers on local governments in the emirate is ousted by the legal notice; that the legal notice has denied the ordinary people of the emirate access to area courts on customary land matters.”

    IEDPU’s position, which was presented by a lawyer, Yahaya Saadu, added: “Inheritance of land or succession to customary title to land is abrogated by the legal notice; the legal notice denies indigenes of the emirate the right to repair existing residential buildings, erect new buildings or farms even at their backyard without the consent of the governor and the legal notice has turned the customary land owners into tenants liable to pay prohibitive rent to government on their land.”

    The Director-General of the state, Bureau of lands, Mr Tope Daramola, in his submission, said the agency has not acquired any land in the state without abiding with the law on land acquisition in the state.

    He said the bureau has not acquired the llorin Eid praying ground and the Emir’s palace as being speculated in some quarters.

    Daramola denied insinuations that the bureau acquired lands for building of religious houses in some part of the state.

    Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Razak Atunwa, stressed that the exercise was not meant to review existing laws, but to get suggestions which it would send to the governor.

    His words: “It has been suggested that the Bureau of Lands has indiscriminately carved out and sold various institutional land. It has been suggested that the Yidi Prayer Ground, parts of the Emir’s Palace and land belonging to educational institutions, have been sold by the bureau. There is no evidence before the House that there has been any such sale.

    “The suggestion that the Yidi Prayer Ground and part of Emir’s Palace have been sold are not only preposterous and ludicrous, they are mischievous. The Kwara Central Senator, and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly are devout Muslims with deep family roots in the emirate and have the highest reverence for Islam and respect for the emir.

    “The governor also has strong affinity with Ilorin and a devout Muslim. It is, therefore, unthinkable that all three will stand idly by and watch any desecration of those lands.”

  • Firm grants marketing right to Nigerian partner

    Firm grants marketing right to Nigerian partner

    A CANADA-BASED firm IKO Shingles has given five years marketing exclusivity right to its Nigerian partner, 7 Stars Nig. Ltd., in recognition of its aggressiveness in marketing its roofing materials in the country.

    Speaking to The Nation at the weekend in Lagos, the firm’s Commercial Country Manager Russia/Account Manager Africa, Mr Eddy De Peuter, said IKO Shingles has taken over a large share of the roofing market in Nigeria within its short period of existence, serving high-end clientele.

    He said in appreciation of that, his firm granted exclusivity marketing right to their Nigerian sole distributor to encourage it to do more in the face of stiff competition.

    On the inroad made in the sector, he said: “Increasingly, our products are becoming popular and our distributor is engaged in a N1.5 billion roofing project consisting of 12 Victorian buildings on Monrovia Street, off Aminu Kano Crescent, Abuja. This is excluding the ones in Lagos and the East and prospects in other states.”

    He went on: “The Abuja project is not only a big one for us but has projected our high quality roofing materials in the upscale market. The location and value of the houses is a good marketing benchmark for us.

    “One good thing about us is that we have trained installers and those that have basic knowledge about our products. This makes it a lot easier for our customers to get the best as they are assured of our highest consideration in handling their roofing installation.”

    On what differentiates their products from other shingles in the market, De Peuter said they constantly embark on research and development on new technologies that always positioned them above others.

    He disclosed that the company has developed a self-adhesive and laminated shingles in their factory in Slovak, which are wind and harsh weather resistant, to serve the Nigerian market effectively.

    The shingles, he said, are sound proof with zero transmission of heat to the interior and no variation in colour after a long use unlike the aluminium shingles in the local market.

    He encouraged designers and architects to patronise the roofing material to give the best to their clients given the flexibility the product offers in terms of design concept.

    On weather challenges, especially strong wind, he said the material was produced to withstand hurricanes and strong wind, especially in coastal communities. It is being used in Mauritius and Angola to build hotels and estates.

    Asked if his firm was planning to manufacture shingles in Nigeria, he said the decision would depend on the volume of trade recorded within a time frame, adding that the country is best positioned to serve the West African coast.

  • Budget 2013: Experts condenm zero allocation to sector

    Budget 2013: Experts condenm zero allocation to sector

    Insufficient allocation to housing in budgets has been a major problem. The government is yet to match its talk on adequate housing with action. Last year, the allocation to the sector was N24.9 billion. So, it was with high hopes that stakeholders waited for the 2013 Budget, which President Goodluck Jonathan presented last week, believing it would, at least, be an improvement. But their hopes were dashed; the budget was silent on the sector. OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE writes that the sector may not witness any growth next year, except some measures are taken by the government to lift it. Stakeholders also criticised the government on the ongoing 24,000 housing units projects and the 6,000 units deal with states, saying they are insignificant in the face of the huge deficit of 16 million units

    Budget 2013 termed “Fiscal consolidation with inclusive growth,” may have taken care of or boosted some sectors of the economy, but not so with the housing sector because it neglected its challenges.

    In developed economies, the sector is used to measure the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but not in Nigeria where its contributions to the GDP is minimal that it is not reckoned with.

    Although the government has introduced some programmes to provide affordable housing to a large percentage of the population, they remain a rhetoric because their impact has not been felt.

    While presenting the 2013 Budget at the National Assembly, President Goodluck Jonathan said: “The provision of affordable housing is one of the administration’s strategic imperatives for guaranteeing our citizens’ productivity and well-being. We are creating an enabling environment for the private sector to produce the much needed housing, while creating jobs in the process.

    “To facilitate this, I will be holding a presidential retreat on housing in early November, to discuss policy and modalities for dealing with land titling issues, developing an affordable mortgage finance system and reducing the high cost of housing construction.”

    He said under various housing programmes, about 2,000 housing units have been completed, while over 24,000 others were at various stages of completion. These are aside the houses being constructed for the use of the Armed Forces and paramilitary services.

    In addition, the President said the Federal Government had entered into partnerships with some states to provide 6,000 housing unit.

    So far, about 600 housing units under the direct construction scheme of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in some states have been completed.

    According to him, these will ensure that more Nigerians enjoy the benefits of having their own homes.

    Observers are wondering how all these, especially when there is no budgetary figure tied to housing, will make a difference in the face of a bourgeoning housing deficit and growth of slums in the cities.

    In the 2012 Budget, Lands, Housing & Urban Development received N24.9 billion but, this year, no figure was allocated to it. Analysts are wondering what may have given rise to such neglect. While some attributed the anomaly to the government’s lack of understanding of the complexities of the sector, others believe the government does not attach importance to the welfare of its citizens in terms of their accommodation and has, therefore, left each one to take his destiny in his hand.

    A developer and Managing Director, Fine Homes Ltd, Mr Afam Icheku, while criticising the paltry figures of housing projects by the Federal Government, which didn’t add up to 30,000 units in the face of a need of over 16 million houses, said nothing in the budget suggested that the government was working towards encouraging home ownership.

    He predicted that there would be an increase in slums with only the rich able to build and own decent houses.

    The National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Institute of Builders (NIOB), Mr Kunle Awobodu, in his assessment of the 2013 Budget as it relates the housing sector, said there was no reason to cheer in the sector.

    He criticised the government on the planned one million houses proposed for this year, which never saw the light of day, wondering how the huge housing gap could be closed.

    Awobodu berated the government for not taking housing seriously. In addition, he criticised governments for not engaging professionals to deliver the little they are doing in the sector, to maximise the resources put into such projects.

    A former President of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Mr Kashim Ali, was not happy with the government for positioning the housing ministry as an implementation agency rather than a policy organ.

    He regretted the zero budget on housing and asked the ministry to sit up and reposition agencies, such as the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and Federal Mortgage Bank, to operate like commercial enterprises to deliver on their mandates.

    Ali urged the ministry to offer incentives to the private sector with easy access to land, tax holidays, and reduced cost of building materiald to engineer them to provide affordable housing.