Business
Housing: FHA Seeks States’ Partnership
The Managing Director,
Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Prof. Mohammed Al-Amin, has called for partnership between the authority and state governments to ensure access to land for housing development.
Al-Amin made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
The managing director noted that the Land Use Act of 1978 vested the ownership of land on state governors, hence the need to work with the state governments.
He said that FHA, as an agency of the Federal Government, had to solicit for land from the state governors before building houses for the citizenry.
“There is no special vehicle for the FHA; therefore, the authority goes as any other developer, pays compensation and does all the necessary things private developers do to get land.
“That is not helping matters because if we spend a lot of money in getting land and pay compensation, then other things are being added to the cost of the housing.
“We need partnership with governments at the state level particularly, where you give us land; you help us with infrastructure and we build the houses and allocate them to citizens of Nigeria in the states.”
In order to overcome the challenge, he said that the authority had started interacting with state governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The managing director said that the authority had designed 37 partnership blueprints for each state government and the FCT.
He said that the blueprints became imperative to show the state governors areas they could work together with the authority and to point out the problems and specific potential for each state and how to harness them.
“These are some of the things we have been doing to overcome the challenges; but the challenges are numerous.”
He further said that trying to compete in a market economy, driven by profit is a major challenge facing the authority.
“The global economy is being determined by market forces and market forces are driven by profit.
“And our system of housing provision is to take the interest of Nigerians at heart, to give them houses that are affordable, accessible and available.
“So, we have to break the jinx of the market-driven economy and come to a compromise where ordinary Nigerians can have houses.”
He further explained that the many unforeseeable challenges in the housing sector made housing delivery difficult in Nigeria.
According to him, a developer has to plan for such unforeseeable challenges so that he will be able to build houses that are qualitative at competitive prices.
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FCTA, Others Chart Path To Organic Agriculture Practices
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and other stakeholders have charted path to improved organic agriculture practices nationwide.
At a 2024 national organic and agroecology business summit held recently in Abuja, stakeholders took turn to speak on the additional areas of promoting the practices.
The Mandate Secretary, FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), Lawan Geidam, advocated for sustainable practice to develop resilient food systems that will benefit people.
The event, with the theme,”Towards Policies for Upscaling Organic Agroecological Businesses in Nigeria”, is aimed at fostering growth in the organic agriculture sector.
Geidam, who was represented by the Acting Director, Agric Services, in the Secretariat, Mr. Ofili Bennett, emphasised the success of organic and agroecological farming, reling on the active involvement of farmers, businesses and consumers.
He reassured attendees that the FCT Administration, led by the Minister, Nyesom Wike, and Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, remains dedicated to supporting initiatives that enhance the livelihood of residents.
Geidam described the partnership between the Secretariat and the organic and Agroecology initiative for a monthly exhibition and sale of organic products in the FCTA premises as a testament to this commitment.
“The ARDS remains committed to driving policies and initiatives that align with national goals and global standards”, Geidam said.
On her part, the Chairperson of Organic and Agroecology Initiative, Mrs. Janet Igho, urged residents to embrace healthy eating habits to sustain a good lifestyle. She stressed the importance of adopting organic practices, highlighting the benefits of going organic, growing organic and consuming organic products.
Igho expressed her optimism regarding the Agricultural Revival Programmes as articulated in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda”, which aims at fostering food and nutrition security.
She also extended her gratitude to ARDS for graciously allocating a space in the FCTA premises for the exhibition and sale of organic products, noting that the platform has been effectively used to advance the promotion of organic agriculture in FCT.
Igho outlined several benefits of organic agriculture which includes improved soil health, increased biodiversity, availability nutritious and healthy food and a reduced carbon footprint.
Stakeholders at the summit, underscored the critical need for enhanced private sector involvement and robust capacity building initiatives for farmers.
They highlighted the importance of implementing supportive policies to foster the growth of the organic agriculture sector.
In the light of the significant challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural landscape, stakeholders decided that organic agricultural practices present sustainable solutions and a pathway for a more resilient and productive farming systems.
The three-day summit featured exhibitions showcasing organic foods, fruits, vegetables and fertilizers, providing an opportunity for residents to better appreciate the benefits of production and consumption of organic agricultural products.
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