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Housing Minister Demands N50bn Every Year To Fix Nigeria’s Slum Problem

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2 hours ago

Dec 16, 2024.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has revealed that Nigeria needs a minimum of N50 billion annually to successfully drive slum upgrade and urban development.

He made the announcement during an engagement with Hadiza Usman, the Special Assistant to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), as part of the 1st-3rd Quarters 2024 Performance Assessment Report on the Implementation of Presidential Priorities and Ministerial Deliverables of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Dangiwa emphasized that urban development is crucial for Nigeria to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, and noted that the National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade program has the potential to multiply every kobo invested by three times through institutional partnerships with organizations like UN-Habitat.

He cited the successful implementation of over 100 nationwide projects, nearly 60 of which have already been completed, aiming to improve slum areas by providing essential services such as access roads, drainage, and water.

Despite the progress, Dangiwa acknowledged several challenges, including delays in the release of budgetary allocations and the rising costs of building materials. He called for increased support from the CRDCU, particularly in ensuring timely release of budget allocations, fostering partnerships with state governments, the National Assembly, and other stakeholders, as well as reviewing the Land Use Act.

In line with the government’s housing initiative, the minister also highlighted the ongoing Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme, which is currently building 10,112 housing units across 14 construction sites nationwide.

The program includes projects like the 3,612 units in Karsana Renewed Hope City, as well as 3,000 units in 12 estates spread across the country.

Furthermore, President Bola Tinubu is set to officiate the groundbreaking of two additional Renewed Hope Cities in Kano and Lagos on December 17th and 19th, respectively.

Dangiwa stressed that the housing deficit in Nigeria is severe, requiring at least 550,000 new housing units annually for the next decade.

Housing Minister Nigeria’s Slum

To address this, he urged for a larger budgetary allocation, with the National Assembly showing support for a N500 billion budget for 2025. He called on the CRDCU to support this initiative to ensure the success of the ministry’s housing goals and to alleviate the nation’s housing deficit.