Could you please give an insight into what Africa International Housing Show (AIHS) is all about?
Africa international housing show (AIHS) is where the leaders in the housing and construction industry meet to network, exchange ideas and proffer solutions to problems relating to the sector. It is that place where latest trends are showcased ,where latest building technologies are showcased,it is that place where you meet the building materials,the professionals,the financiers under one roof. Africa international housing show is that platform. We bring ministers of housing from different countries who are policy makers with those who are in the private sector. It is a neutral platform where the architect interacts with an engineer and it is that platform that brings engineers to interact with town planners. It is a neutral platform created for the development of the sector. It is that place where issues of mortgage are discussed, where issues relating to investors are discussed. It is that place where leaders,CEO’s of mortgage banks meet the CEO’s of real estate companies. It is that platform where the commissioners for housing meet private developers. It is that place where those in real estate business interact with the lawmakers. That is the whole idea of AIHS.
The show has been going on for over a decade now, how has this impacted the housing sector?
Let me start by talking about the economic value. For 17 years,the programme has been increasing , people are becoming more interested because when they go there and benefit, and transact business and it worked,they will want to comeback. In the area of impacting, AIHS has impacted in the businesses of exhibitors,sponsors,and participants who
have been coming in one way or the other. I must tell you that AIHS is a business builder,alot of businesses that started with us over 10 years ago just as exhibitors are today financiers,sponsors of that event. So in other words,if we are trying to look at the economic value interms of money that has been transacting on that platform we are talking about over N100Bn transactions that have taken place from those who are selling roofing to those selling sanitary wares to those who are selling houses to those who are selling alternative energy.
AIHS is a business building platform. Now let us go to the government policy. On AIHS platform,we demanded for the use of pension funds for housing and we got it ,on AIHS we demanded that shelter Afrique that is based in Kenya, that for Nigerians to benefit from them,they should change from dollars loan to Naira because of the fluctuations in foreign exchange rates in Nigeria and they listened to us. They went to the Nigeria stock exchange rate and floated a bond in Naira that now created an avenue for developers in Nigeria to have access to
Shelter Afrique loan in Naira denomination. Not only that, we demanded that the interest of people who are below the ladder be considered by the government. That we should have an institution that will be responsible for the building of low-cost housing,we got it through the establishment of Family Homes funds. We’ve called at different times for various changes in National housing funds even though we have not gotten to the promised land, I can tell you we’ve made alot of advocacy in the area of what can be done. We’ve requested that states should have a specialised ministry that will be devoted fully for housing because the issue of housing is very critical. I can tell you that 70 percent of states we have in the country today have ministry’s of housing. I can also report to you here that the issue of land documentation has been one of the issues that AIHS was seriously concerned about but today many states have geographical information systems where you can get information or data on land and many other things are what AIHS has done. We have built alot of relationship with other countries in the area of housing,with other international agencies in the area of housing therefore,the impact of AIHS to this country is very great.
What is the percentage of housing deficit this show has been able to close since it started?
I can report to you here that AIHS has contributed in bridging that gap in about 20-30 percent through the private sector because if you look at what the private sector are doing in various parts of the country, you will know that alot of works are taking place and we just need to have an enabling environment that will bring the prices of those houses to the level of people that really need those houses.
A follow up to that. What are those specific conditions that you would want to be put in place that will create an enabling environment?
When we talk of enabling environment. An enabling environment begins with access to land. Till tomorrow, a good number of our governors rarely sign C of O, they turn it to be a ceremony before they can sign on that note many of the housing projects you see have no title. When your house does not have a title,how do you transact business with it?
This is part of what I’m talking about. If our next minister in FCT can show interest in providing legal title for land from creating access to land,I can tell you that the sector will be better for. What is the essence of building a house without a title that you cannot transact business with?. That is the enabling environment we are calling for . Another one is the area of interest rate. Interest rate is terrible,double digits and that has been a barrier to mortgage transaction. Double digit interest rate has been a barrier to mortgage transaction,the double digit rates is a strong barrier to mortgage and finance,that is why we are saying we need an enabling environment.
Another area where we need an enabling environment is infrastructure,you cannot get affordable housing if the developer is the one providing infrastructure,pay for land,pay for land compensation,pay for primary infrastructure and also provide the secondary infrastructure,they are going to transfer the burden,the cost of all these expenses to the buyer . These are areas we must look into if we should succeed. The new President of the federal republic of Nigeria had said in his manifesto that the issue of credit creation will be one of the priority of government. That means the government will be interested in the development of mortgage sector,so this is one of the areas we are looking into and then beyond that,at AIHS we are looking at the problem raised by the former minister of works and housing where he said “I’ve been hearing figures that people are branding around 13, 17m 20m, of housing deficit,where did we get it?
Who brought those figures? Why is it that these figures continue to remain the same? Because Nigeria continue to produce at geometric level and they are not producing housing not even at the arithmetic level . So how do will get there? At AIHS on the first day,our discussion will be finding solutions to the problems of real estate data.
What informed the choice for this year’s theme Beyond rhetoric: Making housing happen?
The choice of this year’s theme “Beyond rhetoric: making housing happen. We are doing this because we have heard so much rhetorics to housing, housing for all 2010,housing for all 2020 which never happened. We have held so many seminars and conferences about housing and we are now saying as we gather for the 17th AIHS,we are here to tell everybody that it is enough of the rhetorics, it is time for us to face the realities of the century. That is why we have already outlined the problems and so we’ll be providing solutions to them.
Number one we’ll start with inviting the special adviser to the President on policy coordination Hadiza Bala , she will be coming to tell us what is the policy of the government in the area of housing during the opening ceremony. After that we’ll move to the issue of data ,we are talking about data with the support and collaboration of NBS who have the mandate,the constitutional power to get data so the statistician general of the federation will be joining us as a lead speaker on the day one and then we’ll also be having director of housing census from the NPC,they said they have done some counting on housing in Nigeria so what do they have still on day one. Beyond that when Fashola was going,he launched a booklet on strategy to increase housing in Nigeria,the private organisation that published that book FMDQ ,the MD will be with us to explain exactly what they are saying in that document,what is the new way we need to go if we really have to fulfill this housing for Nigerians. That session will involve all
the MDs that we have for now,the MD of Federal mortgage bank of Nigeria,Shelter Afrique etc and brainstorm with FMDQ what other way we can do this business,we seem to be talking grammar and not moving but the findings from your publication says we need to do this,so we are going to be having a brainstorming session on that,that will reorientate the attitude of every senior player in that sector and on the second day,world Bank,IOC will be taking over ,their own thinking is that the world is changing, climate change is causing all sort of problem, flooding is taking over everywhere,the world has started building green. They want to tell us how to build green and if we build green ,how can we get funding from IOCs. As we take on that discussion,we have an international financial organisation who is coming from UK financing low-cost housing for the poor , housing for 3m-4m ,they will be coming to tell us their findings or barriers for delivering housing for loan income earners. Then will later bring in developers to come together,the developer,the financier, the government agency to say let us discuss the issues that have been creating embarrassment in recent times,the issue of land grabbing. Why did you go into land grabbing? No I gave you land so we are going to have a fired discussion where the developer will face the government agency,you caused it. I applied for building permit,you charged me too much money so I have to go on the other side. Then the developer will also look at the banker and say you are the problem,you charge me 26 percent,that session will end the second day.
Day 3, we shall be having university of Lagos master class on affordable housing,yes it is new government,do we really need to reorientate the attitude of those who said they will do this in the area of housing in their manifestos? How can they accomplish that goal. The University of Lagos is bringing participants from not less than 36 countries. The participants will be given certification.
On the last day, our sponsors,the Dangote will tell us the way out of the problem of cement. Because as we are battling with the price of petrol,we are also battling with the price of cement. These two issues are enough to create barrier for delivery of affordable housing.
How do you intend to get the recommendations of this show implemented?
I want to let you know that AIHS in the past established a short advocacy platforms on different televisions to enlighten the people on the issue of housing,on that note we are going to set up different committees at the end of this event and we are going to make Abuja declaration,AIHS will come up with Abuja declaration on how to deliver affordable housing despite the barriers of interest rates, foreign exchange rates and others.
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