Fashola: FG to partner with the private sector to meet housing needs.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that  the Federal Government will partner the private sector to meet the housing needs of Nigerians, Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said.

Fashola made the statement on Thursday in Abuja during an inspection tour of some housing units built through private sector initiative.

According to NAN the minister inspected several blocks of flats at Brains and Hammers Estate, Citec International Estate Limited and Sunny Vale Estate, Abuja.

Fashola said the collaboration was in line with the ministry’s efforts at ensuring a `well designed’ programme that would accommodate cost reduction, supply and programme design of buildings.

He said that the Habitat 111 programme was launched to address some of the housing problems.

He said: “from our first housing summit and the hosting of the Habitat 111, we clearly articulated that the national housing project of affordable housing was the way to go.

“The mission of the programme is to develop a programme that will accommodate the design, building type, cost reduction and supply.

“Ultimately, government has never been able to supply unilaterally the need of the people; no government in the world has done that but we are doing our best to reduce cost.

“So if we really want to solve the problem, we are going to need the private sector to really come in and build as well as bridge the market demand.’’

The minister noted that majority of Nigerians in need of houses were not actually looking for a five bedroom apartment but a house that would fit into their income.

He said that the programme would also be in such a way that it would also attract the private sector to supply them the house of their type.

He said that the ministry was working tirelessly on more research and assistance to improve the design and quality of houses built by the private sector.

Fashola said that the coming in of the private sector in the housing programme would pave ways for Nigerians to be gainfully employed.

He added that it would also help to address some of the problems the economy is currently faced with.

In her remarks, Mrs Ifeoma Okoye, Executive Director, Business Development, Brains and Hammers, said that her company would collaborate with the federal government on building designs.

She said that the company engages local technicians in the construction of buildings.

NAN reports that a two bedroom flat in some of housing units inspected by the minister goes for between N15 million and N27 million, while a four bedroom flat goes for between N27 million and N29.5 million.

(NAN)