Federal Government, yesterday, inaugurated four presidential committees to reform the housing sector under the Renewed Hope Agenda, giving them eight weeks to submit their recommendations.
 
The committees are: Housing Institutions Reform Task Team, Multi-agency Project Delivery Team, Land Reform Task Team, and Building Materials Manufacturing Hubs Task Team.
 
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, who inaugurated the committees in Abuja, stated that researchers and experts have stated that most of the housing plans and policies since independence failed to deliver as expected.
 
Dangiwa also explained that to achieve the target of building a one trillion-dollar economy, housing must be prioritised, stressing that it means comprehensive housing sector reforms that deliver decent and affordable housing to Nigerians must be reviewed and upgraded.
 
According to the minister, the review will ensure that systemic and prevalent issues that have caused under development are fixed, all legal impediments are removed, and the institutional frameworks of housing agencies necessary to ensure delivering optimally on their mandates.
  
He declared: “Mr President has demonstrated a strong political will and an unmatched boldness to take steps towards breaking the jinx of underdevelopment in Nigeria in line with his Renewed Hope Agenda, which the first sign of this is in the housing sector.”
 
The minister emphasised that the committees would carry out review of legislative amendments of relevant housing industry laws, including the National Housing Fund (NHF) Act, 1992; Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) Establishment Act, 1993; Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Act, 1973; and PenCom Act to allow for increased investment in housing.
 
Responding, Chairman, Land Reform Task Team, Ugochukwu Chime, expressed gratitude to the government for selecting them to carry out the reforms, promising that they would put in their best towards the realisation of the Hope Agenda.