The federal government has expressed readiness to collaborate with private investors to reduce Nigeria’s housing deficit, while pledging to provide land for large-scale housing development in different parts of the country.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, stated this Tuesday during a meeting with representatives of China Hyway Group Limited, who visited the ministry to present a proposal for the construction of 10,000 resettlement housing units nationwide.
A statement by the ministry’s director of Press and Public Relations, Badamasi Haiba, said the minister stated that the government was willing to make land available in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), states and local government areas, provided all legal and administrative requirements are fulfilled.
Darma said the proposal supported the objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to expand access to affordable housing through partnerships with the private sector.
He noted that the ministry would continue to create an investor-friendly environment by easing access to land and providing the necessary institutional support for viable housing projects.
“The ministry is determined to ensure that affordable housing becomes accessible to more Nigerians. We are prepared to support credible investors by providing land where necessary, subject to due process and statutory approvals. Initiatives like this are in line with our commitment to reducing the nation’s housing shortage,” he said.
Presenting the proposal, the Chief engineer of china Hyway Group Limited, Lewis Chima, said Nigeria’s growing population and estimated housing deficit of about 17 million units made the country an attractive destination for large-scale housing investment.