FG sets up committee to tackle Nigeria’s housing deficit

In order to tackle Nigeria’s housing deficit which has been estimated at 17 million units, the Federal Government has inaugurated a 12-man ministerial committee to develop a blue print for affordable housing in the country.

According to a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Adedeji Ajibade, on behalf of Mr. George Ossi, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, “the committee was set up due to the concern of the government over the wide gap in the affordability of houses in the country.”

He noted that the delivery of adequate and affordable housing in Nigeria as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution is yet to meet the desired expectations. This, he said has resulted in inadequate stock as a minimum of one million housing units yearly was still being expected in order to reduce the deficit and avert a housing crisis by 2020.

Ossi disclosed that about 600,000 housing units are currently being developed annually through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement and another 240,000 affordable housing by the Federal Housing Authority, 240,000 low cost housing units under the prototype housing scheme as well as the development of new towns and cities in the states of the federation.