Na wah! Federal Government don increase the budgetary allocation wey dem go use for Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development by seven per cent. This year, dem don raise am from N98.13 billion wey dem fit chop last year, to N105 billion for this 2026 Appropriation Bill. E no be small matter o!
According to wetin dem put for budget documents, this money go work hand-in-hand to boost housing delivery, urban renewal, renewable energy projects, plus federal infrastructure fit for everywhere wey dem dey for Nigeria. E get N8.05 billion wey dem go use build 20,000 housing units under the Renewed Hope Agenda scheme. The hustle no stop there, N3.74 billion go dey for ongoing projects under the National Housing Programme, and N2.1 billion na for prototype housing for Suleja, Niger State, and Ikorodu, Lagos State. E good die!
But make we no deceive ourselves, because as e don be now, some stakeholders dey talk say this allocation no fit reach wetin we need to cover Nigeria’s housing problem. Festus Adebayo, wey be Executive Director for Housing Development Advocacy Network, don already shun the talk where dem dey put for paper. E talk say, “Comparing last year budget to this year na small palliative, no be real improvement. Last year dem reduce am, we beg dem to increase am, and dem even do am. But how many of those money enter ground? Less than 50 per cent!”
Adebayo dey shout say government need to serious make people fit get better social housing. Dem dey talk say rent don turn to 50 per cent of people dem salary, and many don dey move enter outskirts of cities because of cost. “This dey happen when prices of building materials dey rise like say na hot air balloon!”
Even Adebayo dey complain say the emergency wey dey for housing sector dey choke us now. “Na real gbege we dey face, my people! As cost dey rise, how we wan make better houses? Banks dey charge double-digit interest rates, we go just dey try manage our pocket.”
Naija dey need plenty houses because we get better people wey no fit afford to pay rent. Vice President Shettima don talk am before say we need N20 trillion just to balance the housing deficit matter. After some meeting for 2024 wey consist of some committees, dem all agree say make we dey look for N500 billion yearly budget wey go fit change the game. But wetin we see for the budget wey go reign for 2025 na less than N100 billion! Na only overhead, recurrent expenditure, and other wahala dey for that money, no be say e go directly to housing delivery.
One official from the housing ministry, wey no wan show him name, talk say, “The budget wey we dey push for housing still dey low. Na about 0.2 to 0.3 per cent of the entire N40 trillion budget wey dem don present. Dis one no too dey add up at all!”
As e be now, many low-income earners dey struggle because dem dey far from urban centers. Na cost of transportation don dey chuk dem inside matter! Wetin we need na gbaladun approach wey go fix dis housing wahala, because low-income families dey face serious gberaga to find where dem go sleep at night!
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