GOODWILL MESSAGE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, HIS EXCELLENCY, (DR.) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, CON, AT THE FLAG OFF OF THE 341 UNIT HOUSING ESTATE FOR STATE HOUSE NURSES AND OTHER STATE HOUSE STAFF IN DAGBADNA VILLAGE KARU, NASARAWA STATE, ON DECEMBER 21, 2017.
PROTOCOL.
1.It gives me great pleasure to be at this august occasion, which is the Flag Off of the 341 Unit Housing Estate for State House Nurses and other State House Staff, here in Dagbadna Village Karu. I thank the Chairman of the State House Nurses Cooperative Housing Estate Society Ltd, Mrs. Selina Akunna Enyioha, for my invitation to this very important event.
2.It is quite heartening to note that the foundation laying ceremony is being performed by the Wife of the President, Her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Buhari. Your Excellency, by making yourself available for this task today, you stand in support of our quest to ensure that all Nigerians have access to decent and affordable housing. We thank you.
3.Without doubt, the story of the housing estate being flagged off today is an inspirational one. It goes back to 2011, when State House Nurses conceived the idea to establish a housing estate on these 31 hectares we are standing on. They had a vision, to establish a housing estate for State House Staff – and to contribute their own quota to efforts targeted at reducing Nigeria’s housing deficit. With their contributions as wells as those of colleagues elsewhere and all the way in the Diaspora, the vision is finally taking a concrete shape with this ceremony today. It gives me joy to identify with this project, because it is a demonstration of what we can achieve in this country if we all come together.
4.Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, Nigeria’s burgeoning population places a tremendous pressure on housing stocks, which are playing catch-up to our country’s high birth rate and the ever increasing rural-to-urban flow. With a population closing in at around 200 million, some 48 per cent of whom dwell in urban areas, the housing problem is very acute indeed. There is an urgent need to bridge the housing gap – the deficit has grown exponentially over the last decade or more. It was in recognition of this that government made housing provision one of its cardinal policies, to avert a crisis in the sector.
5.The 8th National Assembly is very much in support of government’s drive in this direction of mass housing provision. As lawmakers, we even used our oversight functions to increase the annual housing budget from 30 billion naira to 40 billion naira. Additionally, some months back, we part-organised a conference on ‘Addressing the Housing Stock Deficit in Nigeria’. Nonetheless, it is very clear to all of us that much more needs to be done.
6.Housing, or the ability to have a roof over one’s head, is one of the indices by which we determine a person’s standard of living; and this impacts on his or her ability to stand up and be counted in the development of our country. In other climes, the housing sector plays a major role in helping to grow the economy. It is imperative, therefore, that we ensure that more Nigerians have access to affordable homes; and reverse the trend of statistics which suggest that only 10 per cent of those who desire a home in Nigeria can afford one.
7.It is estimated that it would cost some N59.5 trillion to bridge the 17 million deficit. This is a huge sum. It is clear that government cannot do it alone. That is why initiatives such as this one by the State House Nurses Cooperative Housing Estate Society Ltd is so welcome.
8.The Society should be rightly commended for being proactive about housing provision for their members, thus creating 341 housing units out of seemingly nothing. We applaud for you for taking steps to address this national problem. It is very heartwarming indeed, when everyone comes together to do the right thing.
9.It is my hope that this foundation laying ceremony will help generate the momentum, interest and investment needed to bring about the needed growth in the housing sector.
10.I thank you all for listening. It is my hope that a housing estate with a vibrant community will rise on these grounds before long.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE.
