The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has solicited the National Assembly’s support to increase its 2025 budgetary allocation from N83.7 billion to N360 billion.

Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Musa Dangiwa appealed when presenting a report on the ministry’s 2023 Supplementary Budget, 2024 Appropriation Act, and the 2025 budget proposals to the Senate Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development and the House Committee on Housing and Habitat.

The minister explained that with the funding, the ministry can work towards achieving its yearly target of increasing affordable housing stock by 20,000 units, expanding the Renewed Hope Housing Programme to cover the remaining 18 states, with 250 housing units in each, completing the National Housing Programme, and completing federal secretariats in six states, as well as Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Nasarawa, Osun, and Zamfara.

He also said that through the budget, the government will be able to construct five new federal secretariats in Abia, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Kogi, and Taraba. Dangiwa disclosed that the ministry plans to boost artisanship by completing the Building Craft Training Schools in Lagos and Imo States, which are critical components of the National Artisan Skills Acquisition Programme.

“Reducing the proliferation of slums and improving livability in rural, semi-urban, and urban areas is also a key focus of our 2025 budget proposal. We aim to expand the National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme through construction and rehabilitation of roads, water supply, and sanitation and installation of streetlights and drainage systems,” he said.

Earlier, he said the ministry through the 2023/2024 budget started the Renewed Hope Housing Programme, which has over 10,112 housing units. About 3,500 units are funded through budgetary allocation and 6,612 units through Public Private Partnerships in 13 states and FCT.

According to him, over 252,800 jobs are being created through ongoing work on uncompleted projects under the National Housing Programme, which was initiated in 2016 by the previous administration and expansion of the National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme across over 100 sites nationwide.

The minister expressed appreciation to the leadership and members of the Senate and House Committees overseeing the ministry, and the entire National Assembly, for their continued support in ensuring the ministry achieved its mandate for the benefit of Nigerians.

The forum attracted the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and members, as well as the Chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Habitat, Abdulmumin Jibrin.