A leading housing development organisation in Africa, Housing Development Advocacy Network has called on the federal government to think out of the box on how to link agriculture with housing in order to create employment and affordable housing.
The group in a statement on Friday by its President, Barrister Festus Adebayo tasked the government to swiftly make the move so that there will be increase in food productivity against the present covid-19 which no doubt is drastically affecting the world’s economy.
According to the group, if the government can make the move and link housing with agriculture, there are lots of benefits. Among other benefits, the group said it will reduce the rural to urban migration which no doubt has been putting more pressure on the infrastructures in the cities.
The statement said “When you tell a young graduate to go to farm with a promise that after two years of meeting his productivity target he will own a two bedroom, you will be rest assured that he will have no reason to leave his rural area to migrate to the city. Anybody that comes to the city is looking for a better life. There is no need for anybody who has a good and secured source of livelihood will leave it to go to the city to suffer and face the challenge of housing, to face the challenge of seeking for job, to face the challenge of transportation
“And if that can be done, you can be rest assured that when the young man is going to farm every day and he is seeing where the project of construction of houses for them is taking place, that alone will motivate them to do more because they already know that after this, this is what is going to happen
“And when you also look at the merits or the multiplying effect of that housing project that they are building, it will employ all sorts of people, from the artisans, women empowerment but to mention a few. It will directly impact the economy, it will circulate. This is one of the best ways that government can address the present economic recession in the country.
“We call on the government to think out of the box as they embark on 300,000 housing units to use it as a way to link housing with agriculture, create food sufficiency, create employment, and reduce rural-urban migration among others”.
Housing Development Advocacy Network is the largest non profit, Non governmental organization promoting affordable housing in Africa.
