The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to construct affordable houses in 34 states across the country. This information was disclosed by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola. He also said the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) roads will also be constructed in each of the 36 states of Nigeria.
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Facilitation of the project
The project facilitated under the pilot national housing scheme with funding from federal mortgage bank of Nigeria (FMBN) will have a mixture of blocks of flats and bungalows in the southern part and largely a suite of bungalows with one to three-bedrooms in the northern parts. The project is expected to target low-to- middles income class, with the benchmark of the income group between those in level 8 and 14 in the public service
Federal Capital Territory (FCT)roads
According to Fashola, many of the roads have been completed, others are still under construction and new ones are being planned. “The government is also repairing, building and rehabilitating many other roads under the Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA), our Federal Road Maintenance Agency,” he added. The government has also signed and issued over 2,400 certificates of occupancy and has granted over 4,000 applications of consent to land, to enable building efforts outside government’s funding.
Housing
Neither the government nor the private sector provides sufficient housing units especially for the masses that need and demand it in Nigeria. Formal housing production is at approximately 100 000 units per year and this is highly inadequate because at least 1,000 000 units are needed yearly to bridge the 17 to 20 million housing deficit. The government has estimated that it will cost US$363 bn to curb the current housing deficit and the number is expected to keep growing.