Follow Us on Google
From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule and his Borno counterpart, Professor Babagana Zulum have made land available for the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme of the federal government.
The two governors donated the land during the commissioning of the first phase and flag-off of the second phase of the Nasarawa Technology Village in Karu Local Government Area of the state, yesterday.
In his remarks, Sule commended the efforts of the Federal Government in the housing sector through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, noting that initial actions show signs of good things to come in the sector.
“What we are doing here today is in line with the vision of Mr. President for the housing sector. Making homes accessible to our people is a priority of the Nasarawa State Government, just as it is a focus of the Federal Government.
“I heard my dear brother, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development talk about the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates project during his speech. Let me assure you that we already have land waiting for you here in Nasarawa State. We are ready to become one of the pilot states for the project because we know how important housing is to the welfare of our people and the economic development of our dear state, and the country at large,” he said.
He added that the Technology Village, which is expected to have around 1,962 housing units, is a combination of affordable shelter and a technology hub, in the form of Silicon Valley in the United States of America (USA) with offices for local and international IT companies, training facilities for over 2,000 students annually as software engineers, and a framework to connect them to global ICT jobs, so as to bring about sustainable development in the state.
On his part, the Borno State Governor, noted that the state government had already concluded on the issue of land for the Renewed Hope housing project in Borno State, stating that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has earmarked Borno as one of the states to be captured in the first phase of the programme.
“The Nasarawa State Governor said he wants to beat me to it by allocating land for the Renewed Hope project, not knowing that he’s already late to the party. The issue of land for the Federal Ministry of Housing to build the Renewed Hope project in Borno State is a done deal. You can ask the minister. That matter has been concluded already. It is an exciting project and we are so happy we have keyed in as a state.
“The importance of shelter cannot be overemphasized. It is a very important need and if we can secure decent shelter for our people, we would’ve solved a major part of all their challenges. This is why I congratulate my brother, the Nasarawa State Governor for this project because I know it will be of immense benefit to the people of the state,” he said.
Earlier, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Architect Ahmed Musa Dangiwa had underscored the importance of providing access to quality and decent housing as a prerequisite to dignified living and productivity. He commended the initiative of the Nasarawa State Government in leveraging Public Private Partnerships (PPP) for housing delivery, noting that it is the way to go.
“At the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, PPPs are also our focus as we work hard at delivering our Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, which His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, officially launched in February with the groundbreaking ceremony for a 3,112-housing unit in Karsana.
“The 3,112 Karsana Renewed Hope City is part of a 100,000-housing unit project to be delivered nationwide under a Public Private Partnership with a consortium of reputable developers. Under this arrangement, developers are to source for construction financing while the ministry creates an enabling environment and provides bankable offtaker guarantees.
“Twenty thousand (20,000) housing units are billed to be built in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). I am happy to say that we plan to build a substantial number of these units in Nasarawa State.
“A notable project is to be sited in Gbagadalape at the boundary between Nasarawa State and the FCT (near Abacha Barracks). We have engaged the Minister of the FCT to help open the access road there to enable us to begin work. These expansions and siting of cities on the outskirts of the FCT will help decongest the city centre, lessen pressure on infrastructure and create jobs in the FCT and Nasarawa State,” he said in a statement.
