Edo Govt. promises to tackle challenges confronting housing sector

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo says his administration will tackle the lingering challenges confronting the housing and real estate sector in the state to ensure affordable houses for people living in Edo.

The governor made the promise on Friday in Benin night while delivering his closing speech at the end of a 2-day workshop on Housing/Real Estate.

The workshop, entitled, “Quest for Adequate and Sustainable Real Estate for Edo People” was organised by the state government.

Obaseki said the problem facing the state in the housing and real estate sector was that of violation of law and order by the people, noting that the system would not work effectively without people abiding by the laid down law and order.

According to him, the state has law governing land but that over the years, people took laws into their hands, violating property laws, invoking jungle law and indulging in appropriating land to themselves.

He also said that the present administration in the state was ready and open for housing business and had commenced the process of developing the Benin Master plan to clean up the system.

The governor also said his administration had taken housing issue very serious and would implement the outcome of the workshop and make housing for the people a reality.

“We have the human capacity; we have the unique opportunity in terms of our location.

"Our location has given us greater opportunity as the entire key ingredient needed to create a modern society exists in our state.

“We have the capacity to drive major economic growth of the state.

‘’I am very confident that the quality of participants that gathered for this workshop has the experience to help the state move to the desired level in the area of housing,” he said.

The Chairman of the workshop, Alhaji Ali Magashi, said the essence of the workshop was to create a road map for the governor to have a well integrated and planned housing development for the state.

He said, ‘’There is need to start with planning; you need an urban planning and urban renewal.

‘’You need to open up new estate, provide land for developers to put money and create financial structures for people of the state to get their new homes”.

He commended the state government for the workshop and called on the governor to ensure implementation of the outcome of the workshop to achieve the desired result.