The Federal Government of Nigeria has confirmed that the plans to construct 100 social homes in each of the 774 local governments nationwide is targeted at low-income and underprivileged citizens.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, revealed during a study and advocacy visit by the National Association of Directors of Local Government Departments of Works, Housing, Transport and Environment in Nigeria, led by its National President, Musa Adamu, to the ministry recently.

The minister noted that the programme would involve only local government, basically to provide decent and affordable accommodations for underprivileged citizens.

“Under the National Social Housing Programme, the Federal Government wants to build 100 decent and affordable accommodations in each of the 774 local government areas for low-income and underprivileged citizens,” Dangiwa stated.

The Director, of Information and Public Relations, Badamasi Haiba disclosed in a statement that the initiative is under the National Social Housing Act and is separate from plans to build another 34,000 homes in selected cities and state capitals across the 36 states and the FCT under the first phase of the Renewed Hope Cities Project.

Dangiwa further called for collaborations with the local government departments of works, housing, transportation, and environment to achieve the slum upgrading and urban renewal programme in selected states of the federation.

“The ministry is embarking on slum upgrade and urban renewal in selected states across the country, hence the need for closer collaboration with the relevant local government departments in the selected states in the execution of the programme.

“Through this programme, we are upgrading communities deemed not fit for human habitation by all standards and transforming them into decent, liveable communities.

“We will do this by providing infrastructure like roads, water, sanitation, and other amenities.

“This means we will need the support and collaboration of your members in these places to make our work easy,” he asserted.

According to the minister, the directors and heads of departments of works, housing, transport, and environment have an important role to play in driving policies at the local government levels.

On requests made by the association for involvement in development matters, policies and projects that were crucial to the welfare of the localities, Dangiwa assured them that the ministry would invite them for its subsequent annual council meetings as observers as well as encourage agencies under the ministry to collaborate with them on housing delivery.