By ABAH ADAH, Abuja
The President / Chairman of Council, Alh. Aliyu Oroji Wamakko, Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) has disclosed that over 10,000 members of the public seeking to own a home have been captured on the association’s data base and still counting.
The number one real estate developer in the country made this disclosure while marking the REDAN Day, which was Thursday, the 4th and last day of the just concluded Abuja International Housing Show (AIHS).
“As at today, we have over 10,000 home seekers on our data base,” he said.
Going by this scenario, one may be tempted to conclude on the hugeness of housing deficit in the country.
Nigeria’s contentious housing deficit has been put at over 17 million, but the federal government discredited the claim.
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has consistently disagreed with the figure as, according to him, it lacks empirical (scientific) proof.
However, in its quest to provide housing solution in Africa, Shelter Afrique, a pan-African finance institution that exclusively supports the development of the real estate sector development in Africa, during the RADAN Day panel discourse, hinted of its plan to partner with critical stakeholders, including the government, to dig up the actual figure that could lead to informed plan towards affordable housing in Nigeria.
Expressing delight that RADAN was part of this year’s AIHS, Wamakko commended the management of international Housing and construction show limited , led by Festus Adebayo, for the unwavering commitment to host up to 15 editions of Abuja International Housing Show inspite of the challenges being posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I want to express our gratitude to the organisers for allocating a REDAN DAY on the show. This is a demonstration of the value they have placed on our association,” he said.
The highlight of the REDAN Day was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shelter Afrique towards providing affordable housing for Nigerians.
