NLC, TUC Partner FG to Deliver Housing for Low-income Workers

The federal government has disclosed that it is collaborating with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) towards the delivery of affordable housing to low-income workers.

Other bodies involved in the project include the Cooperative Societies and the Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association (NECA).

This was disclosed by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Dr. Famous Eseduwo, at the day one of the eighth meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development organised by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing on Monday in Abuja.

 

Highlighting that land acquisition poses a major hindrance to effective housing delivery, Famous, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mohammed Bukar, said: "Processes that would ensure proper harmonisation of the various procedures and instruments of land acquisition/transfer across the country are currently being addressed.

"Various factors are responsible for preventing effective housing development, some of which include lack of secure access to land; high cost of land registration and titling; uncoordinated policies and implementation at both the federal and state levels; ownership rights under the Land Use Act; lack of critical infrastructure; affordability gap, and inefficient development control among others."

He stated that the federal government would continue to work towards fine-tuning its policies and programmes to create an enabling environment for greater participation of subnational governments and the private sector in housing development.

 

The five-day event which commenced on Monday is a yearly event and the highest gathering of stakeholders in the building and housing sector to brainstorm on issues, exchange views and ideas in a bid to improve the Nigerian housing sector.

Those in attendance at the event, with the theme: ‘Housing Development and Consumer Credit as Strategies for National Prosperity’, were directors and the management of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, permanent secretaries, executive directors, regulatory bodies, professional bodies, members of the press and the academia.