Nigeria has the largest number of homeless people in the world. This is due to the lack of affordable housing, among other factors. As though in response to this, the Federal Government has announced its plan to develop one million low-cost housing units for its vulnerable populations within the period of seven years. Beneficiaries include low-income earners, internally displaced people (IDP), homeless people, et cetera.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, November 28th, 2023, at the Sixth Nigeria Affordable Housing Finance and Innovation Summit (NAHFIS Expo 2023) in Abuja, the country’s capital. Managed by Mrs Chidimma Makuachukwu, the initiative is dubbed “Renewed Hope Shelter for the Poor, IDP and Refugees” and is a subset of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Read: Challenges of Homeless People
Mrs Chidimma Makuachukwu said:
- “We have 10 hectares of land allocated to the Federal Government for this project specifically for Benue and also we are moving to other states by 2024, the agenda is to get the land, bring the government to the front.
- “The people will use the local labour and the local content so that the economic of the local authorities will be empowered. This means they are trying to build houses for themselves and that is the agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
- “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 region, including the Southern states, you will be marveled, we are going everywhere by 2024.
- “The idea is to move for need assessment, check what is happening so that we come back with need intervention and address the need.’’
Ambassador Boladei Igali, who is the Chairman of the occasion and Pro Chancellor of Federal University of Technology Akure, stressed the need for collaboration between Federal government and the lower tiers of government in order to achieve the expected result.
Ambassador Boladei Igali said:
- “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.
- “The minister of Humanitarian Affairs has said that she will focus on low-cost housing in the rural areas which is a good one.
- “Sub nationals entities have a great role to play on this project, getting money as instrument can be worked out, people can be paying money to get these houses.
- “In many countries, you get a two- bedroom flat and you pay for like 20 to 30 years, this is making it easy for the people and this is a commitment all Nigerians have to key into.’’
In conclusion, to raise the standard of living, the Nigerian Federal Government also plans to create one million direct and indirect jobs.
