The Chairman, Senate Committee on Housing, Dr Sam Egwu, says
affordable housing is a tool for national economic growth, hence the
need for Nigerian government to engage the private sector in the real
estate industry to ensure affordable housing for all.
Senator Egwu, who was the Distinguished Special Guest of Honour at the
Africa Housing Awards 2021 held at the International Conference
Centre, (ICC), Abuja, said the government needs to do more in the area
of housing for all as it is a right of all Nigerians and not a
priviledge.
He identified shelter as one of the three fundamental needs of man
noting that housing is so important and paramount in the life of
citizens.
The Chairman, Senate committee on housing then suggested the
introduction of a workable secondary mortgage financing system,
realizable national minimum wage, old age care and reliable pension as
well as curtailing indiscriminate rural/urban migration as the panacea
to the problems of housing delivery in the country.
He then commended the Housing Development Advocacy Network, (HDAN) for
her untiring efforts at promoting affordable housing delivery in
Nigeria with its annual Africa Housing Awards.
Earlier, a former Minister of Mines and Steel, Arc. Musa Mohammed Sada
hailed the organizers of the award for celebrating the heroes and
geniuses of affordable housing in Nigeria.
He stressed the need for collaboration and understanding of the
private sector to adopt affordable housing even while aiming at good
returns on their investments.
The Executive Director of Housing Development Advocacy Network,
(HDAN), organizer of the event, Mr. Festus Adebayo, has picked holes
in the high cost of houses put for sale by the Federal Ministry of
Works and Housing while he commended the heroes and geniuses of
affordable housing in the country for coming to the rescue of
Nigerians where the government has failed.
Africa Housing Awards is an annual award event and also a subsidiary
of Abuja International Housing Show – The largest housing and
construction event in Africa.
The Africa Housing Awards recognizes and celebrates original and
innovative contractors, businesses, teams, consultants, and projects
that demonstrate excellence in the building and construction
environment.
The award was also to encourage competition and competitive pricing in
the Housing Construction Industry.
Prominent among the dignitaries who attended the award night were
Senate Committee Chairman on Aviation and a former President of
Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ), Senator Smart Adeyemi, and Prof
Uche Ugwuanyi.
