Budget 2022: Our focus is to complete ongoing housing projects – Fashola

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN has told the National Assembly Joint Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development that the priority of the Housing Sector in the 2022 Budget was completion of ongoing projects.

Fashola spoke during the recent defense of the Housing Sector’s 2022 Budget proposals before the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

He said, ” Mr Chairman you may wish to note that the sector’s 2022 Budget Proposals was prepared taking into cognizance the Federal Government’s Thrust, as articulated in the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP). In carrying out its mandate the sector has resolved to pursue completion of ongoing projects with the adequate and timely release of budgetary allocation.”

The Minister also revealed that the Ministry would be launching the National Housing Programme’s web-portal on Friday to enable interested Nigerians to commence the process of subscribing to completed houses under the programme.

He explained that the platform would include the mode of payment that would ensure transparency in the process of acquisition of the houses and other features that would help avoid the risk of double allocation.

According to the Minister, the priority areas which the 2022 Housing Budget was anchored on include: Federal Government’s National Housing Programme and construction and completion of Federal Secretariats in six States of Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Nasarawa, Osun and Zamfara States.

Others include provision of Infrastructure (road, electricity and water) through special intervention programmes in various locations in the country; and continuous intervention programmes through constituency projects that meet the needs of the grassroots as well as providing them with dividends of democracy.

On the performance of the 2021 Budget, Fashola told the Committee that , despite the Covid-19 pandemic that disrupted implementation from March 2020 the Housing Sector had achieved completion of several projects.

He listed the projects to include; design and installation of solar power PV microgrid system and energy retrofitting at the headquarters of the Ministry in Mabushi, major rehabilitation and restoration of 24 existing Federal Secretariats in 24 States and numerous constituency, direct mandate and zonal intervention projects that have direct impact and bearing on the lives of the citizens, among others.

Speaking on the challenges, the Minister mentioned the maintenance and operation of public buildings which he said must adopt best practices in applying health and safety measures, such as routine maintenance, lowering costs, proactive workforce and leveraging technology.

Other challenges, apart from insufficient budgetary provision for projects according to the Minister were; the National Housing Programme being bedeviled by high cost of building materials; and the inability of some States to donate unencumbered land for the take-off of the phase II and III of the National Housing Programme.

Several members of the Joint Committee commended the Ministry for a detailed and well outlined presentation.