The Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has flagged off the construction of 2,500 affordable housing units in collaboration with a company known as the Family Homes Funds Limited.
Speaking at the ceremony held at Dungal Village of Bauchi Local Government, Governor Mohammed said that the project was designed to be completed within 12 months.
The Governor said the construction of the houses are coming in a period when the state demographics have changed dramatically due to displacement caused by insurgency as many people within the region came to the state thereby creating a significant imbalance especially in respect of existing facilities.
He assured that mechanism has been established with a corresponding compliance arrangement to drive the project to effective delivery as it will protect the goodwill of the government and people of the state as well as the federal government.
” I wish to reiterate that, in tandem with our desire to comply with the established building codes and the best practices in Basic Engineering Management and Evaluation, I will in addition to the statutory supervision of the Ministry of Housing, establish a task force in my office for monitoring and evaluation of the projects”
” As part of our efforts in regaining the lost glory of our education sector as we address school enrollment, my government is going to rebuild the Government Secondary School Bauchi, an offshoot of the Bauchi Provincial School to sustain the legacy of the school that produced significant quantum of the intellectual capital that Bauchi state is proud of today”
Governor Mohammed who said that the government will provide opportunities to the people by enhancing local content and community engagement called on the contractors of the housing project in all the emirates to patronize local suppliers to enrich the value chain as the project will benefit mostly the host communities.
” Let me thank Mr President for his kind intervention that led to what we are witnessing today. We call on developers to partner with us to build shopping malls and other facilities in compliance with the established procurement standards and global best practices” Governor Mohammed added
On her part, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed Shamshuna who was represented by Ambassador Adamu Jumba, commended Governor Mohammed for recognizing housing as a major need for the people by partnering with the Family Homes Funds, adding that the flag-off of the project was the beginning of milestones that will bring great development to the state.
The Managing Director of the Construction Company, Family Homes Funds Limited, Mr Femi Adewole said that affordable housing project was part of the efforts of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to improve the well-being of Nigerians.
He said over 20,000 youths in the state are expected to be engaged for the work and applauded the governor for ensuring the actualization of the project.
” The Family Homes Funds Limited is a sub-Sahara Africa’s largest housing fund focused on affordable homes for Nigerians on low income as it is a social housing initiative promoted by the Federal Government of Nigeria as part of its social intervention programme with initial shareholding by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.”
In a welcome address, the State Commissioner for Housing and Environment, Honourable Hamisu Muazu Shira explained that the state affordable housing project has a moratorium span of about four years while the period of repayment is in the bracket of 12 years to 15 years as the building provides expansion spaces as the family grow.
According to him, the three-bedroom flat has expansion capacity of four bedrooms while the two-bedroom has provision to expand to three bedrooms.
” The positive economic gains accruable from this project come in chain reactions and connections. Apart from the contractors, the artisans and job men would be occupied with daily work opportunities that would translate into the improved family economy” he said
Hamisu Muazu Shira said the affordable housing project will go along way in cushion the effects of the devastations due to insurgency activities, noted that the project could not have come at a better time than now because of the recent discovery of oil deposit in the state.
According to reports, the houses will be distributed as follows, Bauchi Emirate Council will have 1,500 units, Azare in Katagum Emirate, 350units, Misau in Misau Emirate, 250 units, Ningi in Ningi Emirate, 200 units, Jamaare in Jamaare Emirate, 100 units while Dass in Dass Emirate, 100 units.
