Business
Group Tasks Govts On Citizens’ Housing Rights
A human rights group, National Human Rights Commission has urged state
governments particularly Rivers and Lagos State governments to ensure that the
housing rights which are fundamental human rights of the citizens are
protected.
Chairman of the commission,
Chidi Odinkalu in a press statement stated that housing is fundamental human
rights that must be respected by every government.
According to him, “If
government will live up to its responsibility in ensuring that the housing
rights of the people is respected, then every effort must be made to provide
housing units in certain number every year.”
He said if government must
undertake development programme, even in urban renewal such that will involve
demolition of structures, that due process that will comply with international
human rights standards must be followed, as well as alternative living place be
provided.
Odinkalu expressed worries
over the state of affairs for those whose houses were demolished, without
having an alternative places for living, saying that communities affected by
the most recent instances of demolitions include those at the waterfronts in
Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Mpape in the Federal Capital Territory, and Maroko
in the Lagos waterfront, and that the number of people affected cumulatively is
said to be in hundreds of thousands or more.
He
said that most of the incidence of displacement without an alternative fell
heavily on the low income earners whose rights were not considered in terms of
housing.
The
human rights advocate therefore urged various governments to take the issue of
social housing more seriously, to ensure that the huge gap in the interplay of
demand and supply of housing are tackled.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.