“REDAN are critical partners in the housing sector” – Dr. Aliyu Wamakko

Dr Aliyu Wamakko is the deputy president of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN). In an interview with a LeadershipNG correspondent he spoke on several issues bedeviling the housing sector and how they can be tackled

He said the current administration has tried its best to see that they address the issue of housing problem in Nigeria through various initiatives and interventions. But the issue remains that we still have a deficit of over 17 million houses in Nigeria. He thinks the effort is not enough to alleviate the housing problems. So more needs to be done.

When asked what important role the private sector have to play in the housing sector, he said that REDAN (Real Estate Developers Association) being a critical partner in the housing sector because they produce these houses, there are also people who create mortgage for the houses produced which are the Mortgage Bankers association. He stated that REDAN’s contribution towards the sector is magnanimous and that no government can try to ignore which is the more reason there is need for the re-organization and recapitalization of the federal mortgage Bank. Because the bank achieved so little with the meager resources they have. They are left with token contribution of the National Housing Fund contributors.

“More also, we are of the view in REDAN that to achieve our dream of housing for all, people who are real beneficiaries of this housing such as civil servants, they need to have a representation. People who are contributing to the national housing fund need to have a representation on the board of the federal mortgage bank to see how these funds are being utilized. Then, the people who create mortgages for the NHF contributors, they need to be in the board room to see how it is being utilized. And we, the real estate developers, need to be in the board room as well.”

Talking in the major problem why we have not been able to achieve housing for all despite so much talk in this regard, he reiterated that the government have not done enough in helping the agency that is saddled with the issues of handling the sector so as to help the agency achieve the target objectives.

He also affirmed REDAN plans to working with the new administration stating that ‘Just like the APC have an agenda of providing 4 million houses for the next four years. We have already prepared in REDAN, a workable document through which we believe this can be achieved. It is easy to achieve this. And it is very important we achieve this housing for all because it increases the GDP and reduces unemployment. If the government can reorganize the mortgage bank, I believe it is achievable. The hiccup there, is finance and when the finance is available, producing these houses is not a problem.”