President Muhammadu Buhari, has commissioned 748 housing units in Zuba area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The President while commending the management of Federal Housing Authority (FHA) for the timely completion of the estate, noted that the project will was part of measures to address the housing deficit in the country.
According to him, “provision of housing needs is one of the issue of multidimensional poverty challenging our people. The timely and qualitative completion of this estate will provide such solutions to a huge size of beneficiaries who today are now home owners either through outright purchase, mortgage financing or the well packed rent to own initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
President Buhari mentioned that the new home owners who have benefited from the project have taken a step up the ladder of prosperity away from poverty which today is a reality.
The President further, enjoined the occupants of the estate to live in harmony and work consistently with the Management of the Federal Housing Authority to ensure that the estate is properly used and maintained.
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In his remark, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said that the construction led to the creation of various job opportunities for Nigerians across board which meant fulfilling one of the visions of his administration when it came on board.
The minister, also revealed that the construction of the Zuba 748 housing units led to engaging the services of 75 contracting companies with their direct employees who got their daily source of income from the project, stating that over 13,000 young labourers and artisans, suppliers of building materials and food vendors were engaged.
Fashola applauded Buhari for his numerous and laudable policies and programs, adding that though most beneficiaries have not met him personally but they have through his housing policies interfaced with him.
He noted that some beneficiaries are operating Rent -to-Own scheme.
“The scheme was adopted to enable interested Nigerians who desire to own a home of their own but cannot afford to pay at once or operate mortgage. Rent -to -Own is the accumulation of their rents over a period of years, which will in the long run transform them to be owners of the property,” he said.
The Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority, Gbenga Ashafa, explained that the Zuba housing estate was birthed as a result of the grant approved to the Federal Housing Authority by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2014.
Ashafa disclosed that the Authority has delivered the project at the sum of N9.5billion only with the subvention of N7.5billion naira from the federal government, adding that the balance of N2billion of the construction cost came from the Authority’s other project and was ploughed back into the estate housing project to ensure its completion .
According to the Managing Director, the Estate consist of four house types namely: one – bedroom block of flat, two- bedroom block of flats and three- bedroom terrace duplex and the estate is serviced by a dedicated Power injection sub- station, water station and well paved road network as well as the construction of perimetre fencing round the estate to ensure maximum security.
