Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has listed its priority projects for 2024, including the construction of 20,000 housing units to provide affordable shelter and reduce the housing deficit bedevilling Nigeria.
The Minister in charge of the ministry, Ahmed Dangiwa, gave the hint when he appeared before the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Housing, Lands, Urban and Regional Development and Habitat, according to a statement by the Director of Information, Badamasi Haiba.
During his presentation at the budget defence, Dangiwa listed other important projects as: The completion of the construction of National Housing Programmes in 35 states of the federation, and completion of ongoing construction of federal secretariats in 11 states of the federation which are at various construction stages.
Other priorities, he said, include: Upscaling slums’ upgrading and urban renewal programmes across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and settlement of liabilities.
He also said the ministry was interested in the settlement of outstanding urban and regional development liabilities on completed urban renewal and slums upgrading projects.
Dangiwa stated that part of the challenges of the ministry was the skyrocketing cost of building materials which he said is affecting the performance of contractors of the National Housing Programme.
According to him, the maintenance and operation of public buildings and insufficient budgetary provision for projects also remain major issues.
