Niger govt. unveils plan to reduce housing deficit

The Niger government has uneviled an initiative, Site and Service, to enable residents access affordable  housing.

Mr Maurice Magaji, Commissioner for Land and Survey in Niger, said this in an interview with the Newsmen  in Minna on Monday.

He said the ministry had come up with an initiative to enable individuals to build homes at their own pace.

“We are opening up new layouts with amenities for individual development geared toward encouraging private ownership to reduce prices through competition.

“We are starting in Minna and will also partner Commissioner for Local Government and local government chairmen to replicate the model statewide.

“This will be through provision of government-backed land titles (Right of Ownership) to reduced costs through efficient land allocation,” he said.

The commissioner added that Gov. Umaru Bago, had directed the ministry to investigate why housing estate in Bida, Kontagora and Zuma rock in Suleja were unoccupied and uncompleted.

Magaji said that the Bago led administration prioritises housing development to address the gap since the last construction of the MI Wushishi, Bosso and Talba estates in the state.

He said that the ministry intended to explore partnerships with international organisations to access cost-effective building materials.

The commissioner also noted that the officials of the ministry would soon visit South Africa for peer review on hydraform technology, aimed at cutting construction costs by 30 per cent.

“The effort is to implement affordable housing solutions using cost-effective materials and increase homeownership through site and services,” he said.

According to him, the governor’s directive is aimed at addressing the state housing deficit, promoting affordability and accessibility.