Federal Housing Authority to Partner Turkish Firms on Housing Delivery

The Federal Housing Authority has said that it will work with Turkish companies to facilitate the realisation of the Federal Government’s housing development target.

According to the FHA, its Managing Director, Prof. Mohammed Al-Amin, was recently at the Turkish Embassy in Abuja as a follow-up to the recent visit to President Muhammadu Buhari by the Turkish President, Mr.  Tayyip Erdogan.

Al-Amin noted that housing featured prominently in the discussions between the two presidents on areas of possible economic cooperation between the two nations during the visit, adding that the Federal Government proposed to build one million housing units yearly as a way of combating the estimated 17 million housing deficit in the country.

“It is envisaged that the federal and state governments will build 250,000 housing units each, while the balance of 500,000 will be taken up by domestic and foreign investors,” he said.

Al-Amin added that the Federal Government had matched its words with action by passing a budget of N44bn to take care of its own commitment, which would consist solely of social housing units.

He also enjoined the Turkish Commercial Counsellor, Dr. Ahmed Zafer Gulsen, who received him, to encourage companies from his home country to collaborate with the FHA through mass production of building materials; contribution of construction finance and technical expertise; and housing construction.

Gulsen, in his response, said he would do his best to facilitate the coming of Turkish companies to take up the opportunities offered by the FHA, promising to forward the request to his country’s Ministry of Economy, which he said would seek out the appropriate Turkish companies to work with the FHA.

—Punchng