The Federal Government says it is set to kick start a new Public Housing Development in the commercial city of Kano, one of Nigeria`s most densely populated cities, which will translate into the delivery of 10,000 Units of various categories of low-cost residential apartments in the state.
The project which is to be executed through a collaborative arrangement with the Kano State Government is a follow up to the completion of another set of Low-Cost Public Houses built by the Federal Government, at Dawanu, an emerging residential settlement located in the outskirt of the Metropolitan District of the state.
Segun Ashafa, managing director of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), disclosed that the project which is to be replicated by the Federal Government in all the states of the Federation was designed to bridge the mounting housing demand in the country, which experts estimated is within the range of over 16 million.
Ashafa, while, receiving the title document of a piece of land donated by the Kano State Government for the project which is to be situated at Sharada Industrial area, at a brief ceremony held inside the Executive Chamber of the Government House, in Kano, said President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to housing development in the country.
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The MD, who was represented a the occasion by Abdulmumini Jibril, executive director, in charge of commercial, and corporate operations of the Agency revealed that preparations are in top gear for the commencement of the physical development of the housing project.
He expressed delight with the commitment shown by the state government towards the actualization of the project through the donation of the land, adding the move was an indication that the state is fully ready for the project, and to attract other housing initiatives of the Agency.
“The management of FHA under my leadership is very impressed by the gesture of Your Excellency towards the establishment of another federal housing estate in the state, by the donation of another land which amounted to about 500 hectares.
“We want to place it on record that, no state government in the federation has donated up to 100 hectares of land, not to talk of 500 hectares for this project. The land is more than adequate for the development of a total number of 10,000 housing that is to be built on it. We have decided to develop the project in phases, and it is going to start very soon” he said.
According to him, preparations are in top gear for the actualization of the project, noting that the project was primarily conceived to boost access to modern housing by people of the state.
After the ceremony, the representative of the FHA`s managing director then proceeded on an inspection of the site for the project in Sharada, where he held meeting with the residents and assured them that the project will largely impact their well-being on completion.
Check by BusinessDay indicates that Kano, Northern Nigeria most important commercial and industrial city has been experiencing a steady growth in recent times, which is creating a corresponding growth in population and high demand for housing.
Experts, who spoke on the new housing initiative, described the project as a welcome development, noting that the deprivation of the rural areas of basic means of livelihood, especially the neighbouring districts are also fueling the rapid urban growth of the city with it attendant consequent on housing demand.
They are of the view that the influx of population coupled with an insignificant increase in the housing stock constitutes a serious challenge to housing accessibility among urban residents especially the urban poor and the low-income groups, adding this makes the move to develop a decent housing accommodation, such as the one the Federal Government is initiating very imperative.
Commenting on the project, Abdullahi Bashir, who is the chairman of, Sharada Housing Estate Residents Association also commended Federal Government and Kano state government for collaborating that will lead to the expansion of the housing stock in the locality.
