The Vice-President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria requires N21trillion to effectively bridge its housing deficit, in spite of efforts across the three tiers of government.
The Vice-President said this on Sunday in Sokoto at the groundbreaking for the construction of a 500-unit Housing Estate by the State government.
Shettima, while commending Gov. Ahmed Sokoto for his efforts to address the housing needs of his people, noted that the housing deficit in Nigeria remained a huge challenge.
“Nigeria has a deficit of 28 million houses and we will need N21trillion to meet our housing needs.
“This step taken by the governor is highly commendable and worthy of emulation by other State governments.
“The governor has started well by completing the roads and flyovers he inherited,” Shettima said.
Earlier, the governor explained that the housing estate would be for civil servants and would be sold to them when completed on owner-occupier basis.
“This is a project that was initiated by the former Governor of the State, Aliyu Wamakko but was later abandoned by the immediate past administration.
“We are determined to complete it for the benefit of our workers and the general public.”
He disclosed that the project, located in Wamakko Local Government Area, will cost the State Government N7.3billion to complete.
The event, organised to mark 100 days in office by the administration, was attended by Sen. Aliyu Wamakko and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari.
Also at the event were the Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation, Alhaji Bello Goronyo and Former Deputy Governor of Sokoto, Mukhtari Shagari, among others.