Dangiwa Seals Deal with Consortium for Delivery of 100,000 Housing Units

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a consortium to deliver 100,000 affordable housing units across the nation.
Dangiwa stated that the MoU signed at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, marked a milestone for the ministry’s housing action plan and continued effort to leverage private sector collaboration towards bridging the housing deficit in Nigeria.
The agreement with the consortium of private sector-led companies, headed by Continental Civil and General Construction Company Limited and Ceezali Limited, the government said, will be delivered in two phases, starting with 20,000 units in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), followed by 80,000 units across the six geopolitical zones.

Dangiwa described the deal as the  result of months of hard work and strategic planning, resulting in a robust framework to ensure the arrangement was structured to succeed.
“The federal ministry of housing and urban development will facilitate provision of affordable mortgage loans to off-takers through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).
“It will also facilitate the approval and the grant of legal titles of select lands for the projects across the country as part of its efforts to create an enabling environment in order to massively upscale private sector investment in the housing sector.
“Target beneficiaries are Nigerians in both the public and private sectors of the economy.  The 100,000 Renewed Hope Housing Project is to be implemented in two phases.

“Phase one will deliver 20,000 in the FCT while phase two will deliver 80,000 houses in select locations across the six geopolitical zones of the country,” he stated.
He acknowledged the severe housing crisis in Nigeria and the inadequacy of budgetary allocations to address the deficit, emphasising the need to see increased access to decent and affordable housing as a collective endeavour.
Dangiwa explained that this requires the active participation of all stakeholders across the entire housing value chain.
The minister further touched on the job creation component of the project, noting that it was in line with the vision of President Bola Tinubu to raise 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

According to him, the private and public sector arrangements will create 2.5 million direct and indirect jobs at 25 jobs per housing unit.
He asked the consortium to continuously engage the technical staff of the ministry in the location, design, monitoring, and cost evaluation of the project and ensure the delivery of the project within agreed timelines.

“These partnerships enable leveraging the strengths of both the public and private sectors, fostering innovation, efficiency, and increased access to funding.
“ By combining the resources, expertise, and creativity of both sectors, we plan to facilitate the development of affordable housing, infrastructure, and sustainable communities that align with the diverse needs of our populace.

“Our long-term goal is to address the housing shortage and enhance the quality of life of our citizens,” the housing minister stated.
Also speaking, Consultant for the consortium and Principal Partner of C23 Consultants Limited, Damola Akindolire, noted that the PPP arrangement was first of its kind in Nigeria, in respect of the scale and scope of the project.
He added that the MoU speaks to the focus and seriousness of the leadership of the ministry to address the housing deficit in Nigeria.
On their part, Executive Director of Continental Civil and General Construction Company Limited, Alamu Adegbenga and Contract Manager of Ceezali Limited, Sule Wada, assured the minister of their technical and financial capacities to deliver on the project based on their track record and experience.