Expert Tasks FG On Housing Policies

A civil engineer and building expert, Dele Ebenezer has charged the Federal Government on policy formulation and implementation to boost housing development in the country.
Ebenezer made this call in a chat with The Tide in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
He stated that unless workable housing policies were developed, the real estate sector of the economy would not be able to compete favourably with its counterparts in the global market.
The building expert noted that sustainable housing in developing countries was yet to gain prominence due to poor planning and technological standards in the built environment.
He pointed out “that government at all levels must attend to housing designs and technological standards in planning and producing residential areas, reasoning that if this is not done, decent and safe housing would continue to elude third world countries.
Ebenezer explained that to provide adequate shelter for Nigerians government must take steps to reduce slum growth and ensure sustainable urban development, while curbing the rate of urban migration, adding that government must also display strong political will, enforce standards, guidelines and regulations as well as eliminate the bottlenecks in the Land Use Act and multiple taxation.
He further said government must also guarantee the provision of basic infrastructural amenities and services.

Tonye Nria-Dappa