Housing minister reveals mass housing plans

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr.

During an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Housing, the minister said he was working on a sustainable housing plan, Vanguard reports.

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Responding to the Chairman of the House Committee on Housing, Mustafa Dawaki, who questioned the ministry’s competence, Fashola said:

“The ministry should be commended and not condemned because the budget is inadequate. As a result of that, we are focusing on sustainable housing plan that works rather than rushing the budget, affordability and slum prevention is key to this design. Why it took so long for the design to be ready? Infrastructure – roads, sewage disposal, water and others – has to be planned into the housing and that’s what the ministry is doing.

We look at the N36 billion as the fund with which we will build the concept and if the concept is successful, then we can roll it out more massively because it is not going to solve our housing problems.

We can rush out and get some results but we are desirous to have a lasting housing intervention. We have consulted widely and from our feedback, we are building according to culture.

Our one bedroom is 60 square meters different from the normal one bedroom which is on the average of 20-30 square meters. It is a very big one bedroom. Affordability lies at the heart of what we are doing,” he stated.

He also disclosed plans to build 360 houses in three states through Public Private Partnership (PPP), along with developing “Rent to Own” housing schemes and incorporating a new housing model into the National Building Code.