FG plans to provide 1 million low-cost housing units for vulnerable citizens

The Federal Government has launched the Renewed Hope Shelter Programme, an initiative aimed at providing one million low-cost housing units over the next seven years.

Chidimma Makuachukwu, the National Programme Manager for Renewed Hope Shelter for the Poor, IDP, and Refugees, made this announcement during the Sixth Nigeria Affordable Housing Finance and Innovation Summit (NAHFIS Expo 2023) held in Abuja on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.

The Renewed Hope Shelter Programme, operating under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, aims to collaborate with state governments and local authorities to secure land for the construction of affordable housing units for vulnerable groups.

Makuachukwu revealed that the project has already commenced with the allocation of 10 hectares of land by Benue state to the Federal Government.

The initiative is set to expand to all states in Nigeria by 2024, with a primary focus on providing housing for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and encouraging their return to their ancestral homes.

"We are working with the state government in conjunction with the local authorities to get land; currently, we are in Benue. What we are doing is to resettle the IDPs back to their ancestral homes with the support of state and local authorities," explained Makuachukwu.

She stated that the project involves utilising local labor and content to empower the economic development of local authorities.

This initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu's agenda of promoting self-sufficiency and community empowerment.

Makuachukwu stated, "There is no selection process in this; it is about the vulnerable states across the Federation. If you look at Benue and what is happening there and other northern regions, including the Southern states, you will be marveled. We are going everywhere by 2024."

The programme encourages collaboration with philanthropists, international donors, and embassies willing to partner with the project. The Federal Government is set to provide the basic funds required for the successful implementation of the initiative.

Ambassador Boladei Igali, the Chairman of the occasion and Pro Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Akure, emphasised the importance of collaboration between states and the Federal Government to achieve the desired results.

Igali highlighted successful models from the United Kingdom and South Africa, where Federal Government subventions were used to build municipal housing for low-income earners at affordable prices.

"To get this project done, I think we have to work more closely with the states and with sub-national entities. They have to play a great role; let our focus not only be on the Federal Capital Territory," urged Igali.