From Bashir Rabe Mani in Sokoto
The Federal Government has stressed the need for greater collaboration with states to strengthen mortgage, land and institutional systems for accelerated and inclusive housing delivery in Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Shu’aibu Belgore, stated this on Wednesday in Sokoto at the ongoing Technical Session of the 15th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
The Council meeting has the theme: “Strengthening Mortgage, Land and Institutional Systems for Accelerated and Inclusive Housing Delivery.”
He said the National Council remains one of the most important platforms for policy dialogue, coordination and collaboration between the federal government and the states on lands, housing and urban development.
“It provides an opportunity for us to collectively examine the challenges confronting the sector, review existing policies and programmes, and most importantly, agree on practical measures that can be implemented at all levels of government,” he said.
He said the theme was carefully chosen in recognition of three critical pillars of housing delivery: access to finance, access to land, and strength of institutions.
On mortgage, Belgore said access to mortgage facilitates home ownership and the system must respond to the realities of Nigerians, especially low and middle income households.
“Necessary steps should be taken to alleviate the issues hampering access to mortgage.
” Our mortgage options available to off-takers should be attractive to elicit increased demand,” he said.
On land, he noted that it remains the foundation of every housing development.
“Without accessible, properly planned and efficiently administered land, sustainable housing delivery will remain difficult.
” There is a need for greater collaboration between the federal and state governments in addressing land related challenges.
“While land administration is substantially within the purview of state governments, the implications for housing delivery require a coordinated approach,” Belgore said.
On institutional strengthening, he said institutions are vehicles through which policies are translated into action.
“Where institutions are weak, even well-designed policies may not achieve their intended objectives.
“We must therefore continue to strengthen the capacity of ministries, departments, and agencies at the federal and sub-national levels to optimize performance.
This includes improving technical capacity, strengthening inter-agency coordination, promoting the use of data and digital systems, and improving regulatory processes,” he said.
Belgore commended the seven thematic groups that deliberated on Monday and Tuesday for their work, but said the real value of the Council will be measured by the quality of decisions and their translation to action.
He said the meeting of Permanent Secretaries serves as a bridge between the technical sessions and the policy-level meeting of Commissioners and Ministers scheduled for tomorrow.
“Our task is to carefully examine the reports emerging from the thematic groups, identify areas requiring clarification, reconcile overlapping recommendations, eliminate inconsistencies and ensure that the proposed recommendations are realistic, actionable, and aligned with responsibilities of various levels of government,” he said.
In his remarks, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Barrister Nasiru Aliyu Dantsoho, said the state government is committed to providing policies that will enhance housing delivery.
“We hope by the time we are leaving here, we will be able to provide policies that will enhance housing delivery to make sure that each and every citizen in this country is able to get shelter,” Dantsoho said.
He disclosed that the Sokoto State Government is currently constructing over 1,500 housing units in three locations including New City and Wajake, as part of efforts to bridge the housing deficit in the state.
The Technical Session, which had in attendance representatives of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, professional bodies in the built environment, stakeholders, partners including UN-Habitat, and members of the press, continues ahead of the Ministerial Council meeting.
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