The Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN) has issued a call to action, urging stakeholders to throw their weight behind the amendments of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Act which the Hon minister for Housing and urban Development ,Arc Ahmed Dangiwa has started working on through the federal govt housing institutions Reform committee under Mr adedeji Adesemoye
As the foremost Civil Society for Housing Development in Africa, HDAN underscores the imperative of modernizing the FHA Act to address contemporary housing challenges in Nigeria.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Executive Director of HDAN, Festus Adebayo, emphasized the urgency of revisiting the FHA Act to align it with current housing needs and realities. He lauded the proactive stance taken by the new management of the FHA, particularly their efforts to foster collaboration with state governments for land provision and infrastructure development essential for FHA housing estates.
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Adebayo highlighted a critical impediment hindering the FHA from achieving its objectives: the outdated FHA Act. “The FHA Act cannot provide solutions to the kind of problem the housing sector is facing and the kind of roles that the FHA is expected to play,” he added. In light of this, HDAN implored the managing director of the FHA to collaborate with the National Assembly for swift amendments to the Act, facilitating good utilization of lands allocated by state governors.
“By all indications, the new Managing Director, Oyetunde Ojo seems to need the support of stakeholders to drive housing development to Nigerians across the country,” Adebayo stated. He urged the MD to harness his political will in actualizing FHA’s mandate, transcending individual expertise or experience in the housing sector. The focus, he stressed, should be on leveraging political connections to propel FHA towards effective housing delivery nationwide.
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Adebayo also underscored the importance of equitable housing provision, advocating for a redistribution of resources to subsidize housing for low-income earners. “FHA must provide for the interest of low-income earners as the majority of Nigerians do not have hope to own any house,” he emphasized. HDAN also called for collaboration between the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the FHA as a pivotal step towards housing development efforts.
“The era of working independently is gone; collaboration is the new way to go,” Adebayo asserted. He called for a paradigm shift, urging stakeholders to rally behind the new management of FHA and allow them to deliver on their mandates.
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Adebayo affirmed HDAN’s unwavering commitment to supporting collaborative efforts aimed at fostering housing development in Nigeria. “HDAN is ready to give every support to any organization, any CEO that is willing to collaborate for the development of Nigeria,” he declared.
The FHA, established through Decree No 40 of 1973, remains a vital Federal Government parastatal under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. Despite its crucial role, the outdated FHA Act, enshrined in Laws of Nigeria CAP 136 of 1990, underscores the urgent need for legislative reform to propel FHA towards greater efficacy in addressing Nigeria’s housing challenges.