From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, has announced that 30 percent of the government’s 77,400 planned social housing units will be allocated to Nigerians without any source of income.
Speaking in Abuja during a meeting with Ms. Allen Le and Partners, a Vietnamese international investment consulting company, Ata commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for upholding his decision to earmark 30 percent of the units for non-income earners, even when a lower allocation of 20 percent had initially been proposed.
“We need to know specifically how we will partner with you. Make a formal proposal to the ministry indicating where you want to collaborate with us. We look forward to seeing clearly the areas where you want us to come in,” the minister told the visiting delegation.
He emphasized the federal government’s readiness to collaborate with credible partners whose proposals align with the ministry’s core mandate of delivering affordable and sustainable housing solutions to Nigerians.
The social housing scheme, according to Ata, will deliver 77,400 units — with 100 houses to be constructed in each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to social inclusion, he reiterated: “30 percent of the 77,400 social housing units will be given to non-income Nigerians,” while praising President Tinubu for “maintaining his stand on 30 percent when 20 percent was proposed to him.”
Earlier, Allen Ke Nam, who led the six-member delegation from SV-NED Incorporated, expressed their interest in partnering with the federal government to expand Nigeria’s affordable housing sector. He called on the government to provide land to facilitate their investment plans.
Nam also highlighted the potential benefits of the proposed partnership, noting that it would stimulate job creation, promote skill acquisition, and introduce new construction techniques to the Nigerian housing sector.
Dr. Shuaib Belgore, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, lauded the delegation for their initiative and assured them of the ministry’s willingness to collaborate in pursuit of affordable housing for Nigerians.