Renewed Hope City: FG begins construction of 1,250 housing units in four northern states

The Federal Government will begin construction of 1,250 housing units in four northern states this week as part of the first phase of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Project.

A statement on the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s website indicates that the Minister of Housing, Ahmed Dangiwa, will conduct groundbreaking ceremonies for these units in Kano, Katsina, Yobe, and Gombe from May 22 to May 25, 2024.

This follows the successful completion of the contracting process and the mobilization of reputable developers to start work on these sites, the statement noted.

“We are committed to our promise to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to turn the country into a huge construction site and unlock the potential of the housing sector to create jobs, catalyze economic growth, and contribute to the $1 trillion economy while boosting national development.

“The 1,250 units that we are breaking ground for in Katsina, Kano, Yobe, and Gombe are only a start. After this, we shall be proceeding to other parts of the country,” Dangiwa, an architect, said.

Dangiwa emphasized that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s N50 billion 2023 supplementary budget is funding the housing units.

This budget covers 1,250 housing units as part of the contracts for 3,500 units awarded since December 2023 in thirteen states.

This includes 500 units in Kano and 250 units each in the following twelve states: Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, Gombe, Nasarawa, Benue, Osun, Oyo, Abia, Ebonyi, Delta, and Akwa Ibom.

“The Renewed Hope City in Kano comprises 100 units of 1-bedroom (semi-detached bungalows), 300 units of 2-bedrooms (semi-detached bungalows), and 100 units of 3-bedrooms (semi-detached bungalows).

He said: “The Renewed Hope Estates in Katsina, Yobe, and Gombe each comprise 50 units of 1-bedroom (semi-detached bungalows), 100 units of 2-bedrooms (semi-detached bungalows), and 50 units of 3-bedrooms (semi-detached bungalows).

“To enhance affordability and ease of offtake, we used organic designs where one bedroom can be expanded to two bedrooms and three bedrooms as the income of beneficiaries increases over time.

“At an average of 25 direct and indirect jobs per housing unit, the 1,250 housing units are estimated to create 31,250 skilled and unskilled jobs in these states. Construction work at the sites will also stimulate local economic activity, benefiting the communities and the broader economy.’’

The housing projects also seek to address social inequality by providing a broad range of affordable ownership options.

This includes single-digit and up to 30-year mortgage loans to be provided by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, rent-to-own options where beneficiaries can move in and pay towards homeownership in monthly, quarterly, or annual instalments, and outright purchases for high-income earners.

The minister assured all state governments that the Renewed Hope Housing Programme will go round the states, saying that states that are not covered under the 2023 supplementary budget will be covered under the 2024 budget.

He also called on all state governments that have yet to provide land for siting the projects to do so to enable the ministry to finalise project plans.