Stakeholders in the housing sector have called for more initiatives to enhance the delivery of affordable houses nationwide.
They made the call in Abuja at the 6th Edition of the African Housing Awards.
The Executive Director of a non-governmental organisation, Mr Festus Adebayo who expressed concern over the cost of building materials said government should create an enabling environment to attract more investment in social housing programmes.
According to Mr. Adebayo, the introduction of tax relief for individuals and companies involved in the construction of low-cost housing would transform the sector rapidly.
“One of the constraints is the economic situation. The cost of cement, which is now 9,500, has the builder the cost of higher up. How are we going to be talking of affordable housing under this kind of situation? The only way is for the government to come up with an enabling environment” he noted.
“We are talking of new tax reforms. We should put it inside that if you build social housing, low-cost housing, you will be excluded from paying so-so-so tax. You will be excluded from paying so-so-so tax. These are just a way to motivate people to build houses that are affordable”
Mr. Adebayo who decried the number of empty houses in the Federal Capital Territory stressed the need for proper investigation and taxation of unoccupied or unfurnished properties to check fraud and encourage more Nigerians inhabit them.
He also appealed to the Federal Capital Territory Administration to stop the demolition of properties and focus more on the provision of basic infrastructure.
The Executive Director of the NGO, maintained that the event was to raise awareness about the need to deliver affordable housing to low and middle income earners.
He emphasized that some state governments had already intensified efforts to build more homes for the people due to advocacy by stakeholders in the sector.
Mr. Adebayo further pointed out that the provision of affordable housing would reduce insecurity and boost socio-economic development in the country.
The Chairman of the Occasion and Former Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals, Mr. Musa Sada who emphasized the need for more collaboration among stakeholders to address challenges in the sector said eighty percent of Nigerians depended on social housing.
He thanked the conveners for the event and said more advocacy programmes on housing would help stakeholders share ideas on ways to revamp the sector.
On his part, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa said the Federal government had commenced the construction of two hundred and fifty housing units each in twelve states across the country under the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Project.
He remarked that the construction of three thousand one hundred and twelve housing units in the FCT, two thousand in Kano and Lagos States each was ongoing while the Federal government had also started Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade projects in more than 100 sites nationwide.
He expressed optimism that the reforms embarked upon by the Federal Government especially in the area of social housing and land administration would fast track industrial development.
Highpoint of the event was the distribution of awards to individuals for their contribution to the growth of the nation’s housing sector.
