President Muhammadu Buhari has said the provision of infrastructure,
particularly housing for low income earners, is one of the pillars of
the Change Project of the APC Administration.
The President, who was represented by the Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this in Ilorin on Friday at the
official commissioning of a housing estate in Kwara State, under the
Phase One of the National Housing Programme of the Federal Government.
“When our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), sought your
mandate to form the government in 2015, one of the things we promised
was change. This housing estate is an example of the fulfillment of
that promise of change,” he said.
The President said the progressive ideals of the government seek to
achieve one primary objective, which is to improve the human
condition, noting that the housing estate has achieved that in many
ways.
“The Micro, Small and Medium size businesses that drive our economy
were the ones that won the contracts to build these houses. Not only
did their successful bids offer an opportunity for these companies and
their employees, through them we have unleashed a value chain of
economic activities that improved the conditions of the ordinary
Nigerians,” he said.
The President expressed delight at how the housing project improved the means of
livelihood of many Nigerians who benefitted from sub-contracts for the
supply of building materials, from sand to cement, roofing and
plumbing material to doors and electrical fitting.
He said through the project, the ordinary Nigerians at the
bottom of the pyramid, such as artisans, builders, skilled and
unskilled workers and food vendors, were not left out of the economic
value chain.
“These are some of the people our country remains committed to moving
towards prosperity and away from poverty, and we are already reaching
them by providing opportunities for employment for those who were
hitherto unemployed,” the President said.
He commended the Kwara State Government for providing the
land for the project, emphasizing that the gesture was a good example
of some of the developmental possibilities that inter-governmental
collaboration can produce.
The housing project, which started in 2016, consists of 48 units of 2
bedroom bungalows; 20 units of 3 bedroom bungalows; 4 units of 1
bedroom and 4 units of 3 bedroom using stabilized earth.
In addition, the scope of work includes the construction of internal
roads and drainages, water reticulation and construction of a central
borehole with overhead tanks and the provision of electricity.
