By Moses Emorinken
The Federal Government has launched an online platform for its National Housing Scheme.
It stated that this platform, which will facilitate the ownership of affordable housing via home ownership and rental schemes in urban and rural areas, is available in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Lagos State is however yet to provide the government with land while Rivers State will join in phase three of the project.
Stressing that the initiative is a pilot and not its only solution for providing housing, the government stated it will provide over 5,000 units of houses in different stages on completion.
It urged Nigerians to register and apply for these houses online via nhp.worksandhousing.gov.ng.
The requirements for application are: Passport photograph, current tax clearance payslip, letter of recommendation, means of identification and evidence of 10 percent initial deposit (for mortgage subscribers only).
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who made these known in Abuja, urged Nigerians to apply for the houses through the Federal Mortgage Bank or their preferred financial institutions.
He noted that the initiative, which started with a survey in 2015, was also instrumental to the implementation of the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
“This is the first time we have a platform that every Nigerian has access to. This provides an opportunity for all Nigerians to apply and ensure a fair process of allocation.
“We introduced the online portal from which the national housing programme will be offered to members of the public.
“The forms are online and allow for more openness, limits human interventions, and holds us more accountable. The endgame is an economic objective.
“During the planning, the country was in a recession. About 1,000 contractors (small and big) got contracts. No international contractors were involved but Nigerians.
“It also gave the contractors an opportunity to sustain their staff. Also, all materials for the project were local made materials,” he said.
Fashola noted that the least amount of house selling on the scheme is N7.2 million while the highest selling is N16.19 million.
He added: “Applicants can also take a virtual tour of the property they are interested in. They can apply and register with email and phone number. Upon verification, they can complete their application.
“We have included the abridged drawings of each estate. When an allocation is booked on the online portal, it will show that it is no longer available. This way we avoid duplicity. The backend online staff on this.
“We have different house types which are the result of a survey we undertook. There are 1,2,3 bedroom semi-detached bungalows. It is not only the house but it also has adjoining lands. There are also 1,2,3 bedrooms in the condominium.
“We will soon start the official handover and tape cutting as the subscribers come in. We have maintenance and facilities managers in all the estates. We encourage people to pay through mortgages.”
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