Housing deficit: Minister woos private entities as Oak Homes debut in Abuja

By Stanley Onyekwere

To tackle the housing deficit confronting Abuja, the nation’s capital city, there is an indication that the FCT Administration  working assiduously to ensure that private sector entities could feel encouraged to invest more in affordable housing provision

FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, gave this indication at the official launch of the Oak Homes brand and the groundbreaking ceremony of the maiden development of The Oak Villas and Victor’s Court, in Abuja.  

Aliyu, who was represented by the Special Assistant on Technical Matters, Mubdiyu Mustapha, identified high cost of land registration and irregularity of land titles, policy implementation somersaults, licencing issues, inadequate funding as some of the challenges facing the housing sub-sector.  

“In this wise, the Administration is willing to engage in Public-Private-Partnerships that can guarantee accelerated delivery through the provision of land and on-site infrastructure.  

“With these costs borne by the Administration, it is expected that developers such as Oak Homes are able to bring cheap funds to the table for the construction of the houses, thereby guaranteeing unit selling prices that are affordable to the target market segment. “We shall therefore continue to work with the private sector and development partners to ensure that continuous progress is made in this direction,” she said.  

While pledging the dedication and commitment to national development and sustainable provision of housing as mandated by President Muhammadu Buhari, she however acknowledged that housing provision was a fundamental socioeconomic right and a key pillar upon which the effort to lift millions out of multidimensional poverty, shall be judged.  

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of Oak Holdings, Mr. Olukayode Olusanya, explained that the project was designed to echo architectural magnificence in luxury buildings and finesse in real estate engineering, stressing that the Oak villas would also redefine the concept of luxury living in Abuja.  

Olusanya, however, described the Oak villas as private developments of expansive living areas with careful attention to details and ignition of affluence.  

According to him, “the Oak villas perfectly embodies the technical ingenuity and extreme inequality of the 21st century. 

“A heady confluence of engineering prowess, architectural phenomenon and an unparalleled concentration of personal wealth.”  

He expressed the hope that Abuja would be receptive to what the company has to offer, promising to change the narrative by building castles that befit a smart modern city.