Nigeria Newspapers Online

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, says the initiative to establish building materials manufacturing hubs in six geo- political zones by the Federal Government is intended to reduce the cost of building materials and significantly enhance Housing affordability in Nigeria.

He spoke during the Ministry’s organised engagement with stakeholders in the housing sector held in Lagos.

The theme for the stakeholders engagement is “Actualizing the Renewed Hope Agenda for Housing and Urban Development: Examining Strategies, Identifying Opportunities to Boost Scale and Impact”.

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Dangiwa emphasized that boosting local production and implementing strategic fiscal incentives would lower housing construction costs and improve accessibility to affordable housing.

He further disclosed that the building materials manufacturing hubs would be established in existing trade zones because they offer significant advantages such as tax incentives, reduced regulatory burdens, and market access.

“Fiscal incentives are among the most effective tools available to us. These include tax reductions for local manufacturers, custom duty waivers for importing machinery and raw materials, grants and subsidies to scale up production, access to affordable financing through low-interest loans, and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to drive innovation and growth.”

“The local manufacturing of building materials has the potential to create thousands of jobs, stimulate economic growth, and reduce our reliance on imported materials. By supporting local manufacturers, we can foster innovation, improve quality, and reduce costs, making housing more affordable for Nigerians.

“Local production of building materials will directly contribute to reducing the cost of construction, thereby making housing more accessible to the average Nigerian. This aligns with the Federal Government’s commitment to providing affordable housing for all,” he said.

In his opening statement, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Yusuf Ata, said the hubs would be strategically located in states such as Abia, Ogun, Kwara, Kano, Gombe, and Delta, with each hub serving its respective zone, adding that the initiative would enhance production capabilities, vocational training, and innovation.

The Vice Chairman , Senate Committee on Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Senator Victor Umeh, assured that the National Assembly would support legislative and policy incentives to facilitate the smooth takeoff of these hubs.

He identified key areas requiring legislative backing, including tax relief, import duty waivers, subsidies for local manufacturers, access to low-interest financing, infrastructure support, and research and development.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, emphasized that the engagement was an opportunity for stakeholders to deliberate on innovative solutions, incentives, and policies that would attract investment into the local building materials industry.

Belgore outlined key areas of focus for discussions to include; enhancing local production through policy and regulatory support, improving infrastructure and transportation networks, addressing energy costs, promoting sustainability, building capacity and skills, increasing access to financing, and optimizing the demand and supply of alternative building materials.