Expert Tasks Govt To Look Into Suggestions Made By Professionals On Mass Housing

The chief executive officer, Knight Frank, Albert Orizu, has asked the new government to look into suggestions made by professionals on mass housing.

The frontline realtor, who said this while speaking with journalists, said that the challenge of providing mass housing could be surmounted if the present administration takes the right steps, also, pointing out that there was the need for mass housing, urging the new government to look into suggestions being made by professionals on how to revive the nation’s housing sector.

He said the recommendations especially in the area of providing affordable housing for the masses or low-income and medium-income segment of the society could help the government.

Orizu said, “There is need to make housing finance within the reach of an average Nigerian. Things that relates to the acquisition of titles should also be made much more accessible, without bureaucratic bottlenecks such that housing developments will be less cumbersome for any Nigerian planning to have shelter over their heads.

“They should look at the provisions of the Land Use Act, remove the bottlenecks that make it difficult to implement, and ensure access to land and housing finance, so that developers and individuals can get loans at affordable, reduced or single digit interest rates.

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“There is also need for government to take up initiative to create new towns and satellite towns, but the new schemes should be able to provide infrastructure and services for the catchment of people living in a particular area in terms of providing offices and residential accommodation, medical care, and all necessities of life without traveling out of the towns and long distances to get the services.”

He traced the glut in the nation’s property market to the dip in oil prices saying because of the fall in oil price, some oil companies were no longer expanding the way they were expected to carry out their operations.

“That will give rise to a short fall in their demand for prime commercial property for staff as the case may be. But our economy is being diversified to bring in many key players from all sectors into the market place,” he added.