The completion of houses in 34 states with the support of governors who provided lands is a fulfillment of the first phase of the National Housing Programme (NHP).
The delivery the houses characterised major achievements by the federal government, despite the depressing incidents of collapsed buildings in the country’s built sector space.
In 2022, the federal government delivered 2,665 Houses out of the 5,900 to be constructed across the country.
On the other hand, no fewer than 61 buildings collapsed across the states of Nigeria in 2022.
These occurred despite various efforts being put together to rid the country of building collapse.
According to the report by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), out of these structural failures, Lagos State recorded 20 incidents, representing 48.7 per cent of the entire cases in 2022 Some of the incidents include the residential development at Hotoro, Unguwar Gabas, behind Chula filling station, Tauroumi, Kano state; Anglican Primary School 1, Ayetoro Ajegunle, Lagos; church development at Iragbo community in Badagry, Lagos State; residential development at Road 5 Extension Avenue in Umuguma Owerri, Imo State; development at Oribanwa Town, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State; development at Chief Elmore street behind Ideal Supermarket, Bogije Bus Stop, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos; residential development at 32 Ibadan Street Ebute Metta, Lagos; residential development at Chris Igadi Street, off Ago Palace Way, opposite Kilimanjaro/AP filling station, Lagos; residential development at Sanusi street, Somolu-Lagos; among others.
Lagos State is at the top of the table with 322 incidents in 48 years, followed by Anambra -20; Oyo -19; Abuja -18; Kano-17; Ogun -12; Delta -12; Ondo -11; Abia -11; Rivers -10; Enugu -9; Kwara -7; Imo -7; Plateau -7; Kaduna -6; Edo -6; Osun -6; Ebonyi -5; Jigawa -5; Cross River -4; Benue -3; Adamawa -3; Niger -3; Ekiti -2; Akwa-Ibom -2; Nasarawa -2; Zamfara -1; Kebbi -1; Sokoto -1; Bauchi -1; Kogi -2; Katsina -1; Borno -1; Taraba -1; Yobe -1; Bayelsa -1 and Gombe -1.
From the above figures, Lagos state accounted for 60 per cent of the incidents in Nigeria.
According to experts, building collapse is the failure of the structure or the component.
According to them, the failure of a building depended on the materials, designs, methods of construction, environmental conditions, and building use.
Some of the main reasons for building collapse include bad design, faulty construction, extraordinary loads, foundation failure, unexpected failure mode, natural disasters, soil liquefaction, lack of maintenance, use of substandard materials, under design, greed on the part of developers, bad engineering and earthquake, among others.
The minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Raji who spoke during the commission stated that it is the FG desire and commitment towards improving the human condition and our message of change, have another facet beyond job creation. It responds to those who have long aspired to own a home, and that dream has come true with this project.
Also on November 2022, FG commissioned Nigeria-Cameroon which Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola said during the commissioning that President Muhammadu Buhari has called for more neighborliness and mutual understanding between African states in order to enhance trade, security and promote development of the continent.
The President, who was then represented by the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada, at the commissioning ceremony of the Nigeria/Cameroon Joint Border Post and Bridge, said the 1.5km project would enhance the interconnectivity of “our people and communities, improve living standards, reduce barriers to inter-regional trade and strengthen border security.’’
The allocation of houses to the 22 members of the 1994 Super Eagles by the FG
Speaking during the delivery of the houses, president Buhari expressed regrets that 28 years after the super Eagles exploit in Tunisia, where it beat the Zambian team to emerge champion, the promise of reward of houses to each member has not been fulfilled.The players are: Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Ike Shorounmu, Uche Okechukwu, Samson Siasia, Efan Ekoku, Sunday Oliseh, Benedict Iroha, Isaac Semitoje, Mutiu Adepoju and Emmanuel Amunike.Others are Victor Ikpeba, Austin Eguavoen, Wilfred Agbonavbare (deceased), Uche Okafor (deceased), Thompson Oliha (deceased), Stephen Keshi (deceased), Christian Chukwu, Dr. Akin Amao, Stephen Edema, Col. A Asielue, and B. Aromasodun.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said the completion of houses in 34 states with the support of governors who provided lands is a fulfillment of the first phase of the National Housing Programme (NHP).
Fashola who stated this at the commissioning of Issele Azagba housing units in Aniocha North Council of Delta state, explained that the project is an example of the promise of change made to Nigerians by the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
Ministry also intervened in the construction of 85 kilometres of roads in several Federal tertiary institutions as part of the Ministry’s investment in the education sector.
The Ministry also initiated major repairs of bridges under its 2022 budget even as he announced that the bridge component of the Second Niger Bridge is completed; pointing out that only the Onitsha and Asaba roads components of the project are left to be completed.
The minister of state for Works Umar Ibrahim El Yakub has said that the Federal Ministry of Works has based on the national Housing Policy 2016 succeeded in delivering about 2,665 Houses out of the 5,900 to be constructed across the country.
El Yakub made the disclosure on recently in Kano while on a familiaration tour of the Houses constructed by the ministry in Jaba in Panisau, in Fagge local government area of the state.
According to the minister subscribers have started moving in to the houses which very impressive .
He said there are three models of financing among which include outright financing, Rent and own, and the Mortgage Model of financing.
The opening of the Second Niger Bridge to vehicular movements.
Recall that the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, recently disclosed that the Second Niger Bridge would be open to traffic from December 15, 2022, to January 15, 2023, to ease the experience of travellers during the Yuletide break.
The 1.6 kilometers long bridge links Anambra and Delta states.
The Second Niger Bridge was first proposed during the 1978/79 political campaign by then-candidate Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
In August 2012, the Federal Executive Council under then-President Goodluck Jonathan’s approved a contract worth N325 million for the final planning and design of the bridge
The project continued under President Muhammad Buhari, who had first cancelled the earlier contract in August 2015 to resume the contract on September 1, 2018.
The construction of 1,085 housing units in Zuba and Bwari communities in the Federal capital Territory (FCT), by Federal Housing Authority FHA.
The Zuba housing estate, which is ready for commissioning has 748 housing units while the Bwari’s, which is on the ground floor and roofing levels respectively, has 337 units.