FG Seeks Private Sector Partnership to Deliver Affordable Housing and Drive Urban Renewal Across Nigeria
The Federal Government has expressed readiness to partner with the private sector to increase housing supply, drive urban renewal and support national development.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Shuaib Belgore, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja. The statement was issued by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Badamasi Haiba.
Belgore spoke during a courtesy visit by a delegation from TEC Engineering Company (Nigeria) Ltd., a subsidiary of China Railway International Group.
He said the ministry is prepared to deepen engagement with TEC Engineering, especially in large-scale housing development, urban renewal and Public-Private Partnerships.
“The ministry is committed to providing affordable homes through direct construction, PPPs and collaboration with private developers. Companies with the capacity to deliver large numbers of houses will be important to the government’s efforts to address the country’s housing needs. We are looking at entities that want to build very large volumes of houses in Nigeria, and we are looking into that,” he said.
According to Belgore, Nigeria has significant investment opportunities and remains open to partnerships that can contribute to national development. He added that the ministry is also interested in working with companies that can support urban renewal and improve living conditions in communities.
He explained that urban renewal involves more than just housing. It also includes infrastructure such as roads, water supply, drainage, electricity and healthcare facilities.
The Permanent Secretary commended TEC Engineering for its ongoing project in Kano State and acknowledged the challenges caused by delays in budgetary releases. He urged the company to sustain the pace of work and assured that necessary provisions would be addressed.
He also welcomed the company’s interest in exploring other investment opportunities in Nigeria. Although railway development falls under the Ministry of Transport, Belgore said TEC Engineering could explore possible PPP opportunities in that sector.
He said the ministry is open to learning from China’s experience in affordable housing and urban renewal. He expressed readiness for further technical discussions and knowledge-sharing between the ministry and the company.
Earlier, the President of China Railway International Group, Zhao Jinxiang, thanked the ministry for entrusting TEC Engineering with the reconstruction of covered conduits and roads project in Kano State.
Jinxiang said the company will continue to push forward with the project despite challenges at the site. He added that the visit was also an opportunity to discuss future areas of cooperation, particularly in urban infrastructure, underground ducts, wastewater and sewage treatment.
He disclosed that the company has implemented more than 80 projects across 12 states in Nigeria. The company currently has about 30 Chinese and more than 500 Nigerian employees. According to him, the company has provided work opportunities for more than 10,000 people in local communities.
Jinxiang said Nigeria remains an important market for the company and expressed readiness to deploy its capacity and expertise to support urban renewal and development in the country.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria
