Hope has risen for Nigerians living in urban areas as the Federal government has said ownership of apartments in the National Housing Estate is opened to all.

The Minister Of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fasola stated this in a message to the inauguration of the National Housing Project, phase one in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

Represented by the Director, Urban and Regional Development in the Ministry, Mr Olasunkanmi Dunmoye, the Minister said, Nigerians, including those in the diaspora will benefit from the housing scheme without discrimination, once the intending owner applied on the dedicated website and followed due process.

Mr Fasola also explained that the price of the buildings had been subsidized by the Federal government to make them affordable to Nigerians.

Inaugurating the project, President Muhammadu Buhari gave assurance of his administration’s resolve to address housing deficit in the country.

Represented by the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, President Buhari noted that many of the urban areas were overcrowded, hence the need for housing as a cardinal programme of his administration.

The President pointed out that the housing estate was an achievement of the government’s effort to make life more comfortable for people as the Micro, Small and Medium-size businesses that drive the economy were the ones who won the contracts to build the houses.

He said not only did their successful bids offered an opportunity for the companies and their employees, but through them, government had unleashed a value chain of economic activities that improved the conditions of Nigerians who benefited from sub-contracts by supplying the building materials.

The Nigeria leader commended the Osun state government for a partnership that made the housing project possible while also hoping for improved collaboration in subsequent projects.

President Buhari hinted that the housing project had provided an opportunity for the Federal government to fulfil the outstanding promise of allocating houses to members of the Super Eagles after winning the 1994 African Cup of Nation which successive governments had not redeemed.

The President’s representative, Mr Rauf Aregbesola who was the Governor of Osun State when the project commenced in 2016 advised the contractor, the would be owners and tenants to plant trees around the Estate as a measure to mitigate the challenges of Climate change for the protection of the environment.

Also speaking, Governor of Osun State, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola , represented by the state Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr Nathaniel Agunbiade thanked the Federal government for the housing Project.

He said the project would complement efforts of the State at providing affordable shelter for its teeming population.

In his address of welcome, the South West Zonal Director National Housing programme, Dr. M.K. Mohammed submitted that the National Housing Project was completed in line with promoting local content directive contained in the Executive Orders 3 and 5, which he said had stimulated the economy through the production and use of the materials.

The Osun National Housing project christened “Inumidun Estate” consists of 72-Housing units comprising, 24-units in a condominium (1 bedroom-4, 2bedroom-16, 3 bedroom-4), 28-units 2 (Two) Bedroom and 20-units 3 (Three) Bedroom bungalows.

Adenitan Akinola