WorldStage Newsonline– The Federal Government has claimed that it has created 252,800 jobs for skilled and unskilled workers via investment under its Renewed Hope Cities and Estate programme.
The Renewed Hope Cities and Estate programme is an initiative of President Bola Tinubu administration designed to address housing deficit, reduce unemployment and enhance wealth creation geared towards improving the social and economic wellbeing of Nigerians.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa said this at the 13th National Council on Lands Housing and Urban Development meeting, on Thursday in Gombe.
He said that housing investment had positively impacted on economic growth, job creation and poverty alleviation since inception of the programme.
According to him, the ministry is undertaking construction of 10,112 housing units in 14 sites across the country under the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme.
Dangiwa listed the projects to include 250-unit Renewed Hope Estates designed with 1, 2 and 3-bedroom semi-detached bungalows in Yobe; Gombe, Nasarawa, Benue, Sokoto, Katsina, Abia, Ebonyi, Delta, and Akwa Ibom.
While construction work was ongoing on 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City in the FCT, as well as 2,000 housing units each in Kano and Lagos, respectively.
He said that a significant number of the housing units had reached the roofing stage, nearing completion and inauguration.
“Constructing the 10,112 units underway nationwide has created over 252,800 jobs for skilled and unskilled workers, with an average of 25 jobs per home.
“Workers such as plumbers, masons and labourers earn an average of about N150,000 per month with a daily wage of N5,000, in addition to economic activities around the sites,” he said.
The minister said the Tinubu’s administration had prioritised investments in the housing sector to tackle housing deficit and provide affordable houses for Nigerians.
According to Dangiwa, with the projection of the country’s urban population to rise by 2050, it is imperative for the government to invest more towards tackling the projected population growth in urban areas.
“As we chart the course for urban development in Nigeria, we must grasp the scale of our urban growth and the profound challenges it brings.
“Nigeria’s urban population is expanding rapidly, driven by an annual growth rate of 4.1 per cent.
“From just 9.4 per cent in 1950, our urban population now exceeds 52 per cent, with projections indicating a rise to 70 per cent by 2050.
“By then, Nigeria will likely be the world’s third most populous country, with over 400 million people,” Dangiwa said, adding that the expansion spanned the six geo-political zones, where cities grow at unprecedented rates.
According to him, Nigeria has eight cities with populations above one million and 81 cities with populations between 100,000 and one million.
He highlighted that pressing challenges accompanied the rapid growth with about 58.8 per cent of urban residents living in slums, indicating a national housing deficit from 16 to 18 million units.
The goverment, he said, scaled up efforts to ensure sustainable urbanism, a future where Nigeria’s cities work for everyone, delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for present and future generations.
Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, described housing and urban development as the cornerstone of sustainable social and economic development of any nation.
Yahaya stressed the need for government at all levels to mobilise resources to address housing deficit through provision of affordable, safe and climate-resilient houses for social and economic wellbeing of the people.
He lauded President Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, aimed at constructing 100,000 housing units over the next three years.
The gesture, he said, served as a proof of Tinubu’s dedication to address the housing gap, adding that the initiative was being complemented by his administration.
“Under our leadership, we are proud to report the delivery of over 1,000 housing units through partnership with the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and the Family Home Funds.
“Furthermore, our administration has created new layouts and standardised existing ones, leading to better urban planning and increased access to affordable housing,” Yahaya said.
