By Perpetua Onuegbu
The Chief Executive Officer of Federal Housing Authority (FHA) , Sen. Gbenga Ashafa on Thursday performed the groundbreaking ceremony of 7000 housing units in Mbora District, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Ashafa, who said the ceremony was to commemorate FHA 50th anniversary, said the agency was committed to its core mandate of providing housing solutions for citizens.
“In recent times we successfully inaugurated the Zuba Housing Estate, currently advancing the Bwari Project, and are on the verge of initiating the development of our Smart City/Diaspora Estate in Maitama II.
“The FHA Golden Jubilee Estate will contribute approximately 7,000 district residential units to our national housing inventory upon completion. The meticulous planning of this estate prioritises the well-being and security of its future occupants.
“Today, we embark on the initial 1,200 units realised through a Public Private Partnership with Nuga Best Regis International, with a track record in real estate development distinguished by their proven capacity and capabilities,” Ashafa said.
He added that the authority remained resolute in advancing the government’s housing delivery initiative leveraging the potential of the construction industry to stimulate employment opportunities and foster economic diversification.
The senator said the houses, which were expected to be delivered within 30 months with first 1,200 units delivered in 12 months, would be affordable to the poor via mortgage.
“The time line is segregated, we are talking about 7000 housing units, if we are able to recover all the hectres, what we agree it is going to take about 30 months.
“But this 30 months is not something like everyone is going to wait until it is completed before they start buying into, already we have off-takers that have identified what they want. Phases,” he said.
Also the Chairman, NUGA BEST International and Regis Integrated Services Limited Partnership (LP), Pastor Hilary Chukwuma, said the construction of the 7,000 units would ameliorate the housing challenge that Nigerians are facing.
“For Nigerians who are having housing challenges based on cost or availability, the good news is that this ground breaking ceremony presents an immediate solution to the challenge.
“The evolution of work and lifestyle demand that we rethink the choice of location we live in and what we can have multiple access around it.
“The FHA Golden Jubilee Estate sits on about 200 hectares of land and it is designed with plans for schools, hospitals, recreation centres, markets, Police stations amongst others thereby encouraging a vibrant work-live-play community.
“We are happy to work with Federal Housing Authority in the delivery of her mandate and keeping to her slogan ‘Uniting Nigerians through housing’, it is an opportunity we cannot take for granted,” Chukwuma said.
Mr Turaki Hassan, Managing Director, NUGA BEST International, said they hope to deliver the project within 24 months, he however, appealed to State Governments to release lands to FHA to provide houses for the citizenry.
He commended the chiefs and the village heads for assisting FHA recover lands that had been encroached upon on the site, and was optimistic that all the lands would have been recovered by the time the construction was completed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the estate is expected to produce 1, 200 units of various house types made up blocks of flats, detached , semi-detached and terrace duplexes in the first 12 months. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)