The Senate Committee on Housing and Urban Development on Wednesday questioned the Federal Government’s housing projects and the utilisation of the N100 billion supplementary budget allocated in 2023.
During a session at the National Assembly, the Minister of State for Housing, Mr. Yusuf Attah, appeared on behalf of the Minister, who was on an official trip with the President. Attah reported that the Federal Ministry of Housing had generated N6.232 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) within the period, but also revealed a significant N92.66 billion in outstanding liabilities owed to contractors.
Attah attributed the low IGR to the impact of insecurity and high inflation across the country.
He went on to explain that the N100 billion released so far had been used to pay for outstanding certificates owed to contractors for projects such as the Renewed Hope Housing Cities and the National Housing Programme. These projects aim to address Nigeria’s housing deficit, with over 7,500 housing units under construction across the country, including 3,388 completed units.
However, the senators raised concerns about the visibility and status of the projects. Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) expressed his disbelief at not knowing about the Renewed Hope Housing Units in Bauchi State, asking whether the projects were visible to the public or exclusive to certain regions.
He further questioned the exclusion of overheads and personnel costs from the budget details, requesting clarification on the whereabouts of N22.6 billion from the N100 billion allocated.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South) responded, stating that the timeline for implementing housing projects was still ongoing, emphasizing that processes such as land acquisition and survey approvals take time.
Despite this, senators were unsatisfied with the minister’s responses, leading to a chaotic exchange in the committee. Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) cautioned that the minister should directly address the questions raised, rather than allowing others to speak on his behalf.
Senator Aminu Tambuwal, Chairman of the Committee, expressed that the minister and his team were not adequately prepared for the engagement and instructed them to return for further discussions on Monday.
