The Niger State government is planning to construct 5,000 housing units in the state under the Private Public partnership (PPP) Initiative before the end of 2013. The move is part of the state government's effort of meeting the housing needs of its people.
The state's commissioner for Lands and Housing, Dr. Peter Sale Sarkin, made this known during a press briefing in Minna. According to Sarkin, his ministry has started the construction of 50 housing units out of the 1,231 units expected to be built at the Airport City site at Maikunkele, in Bosso Local Government Area of the state.
The commissioner also explained that the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) has acquired about 100 hectares of land in the same local government to build additional 1000 units, with 50 units to be constructed as samples on the location.
The commissioner said another 2000 housing units are expected to be constructed in Ija Gwara and Tawa in Tarfa Local Government Area, with 1000 units each built on selected locations.
Sarkin also said that in some instances, the state's government had to pay compensation to land owners after acquiring such lands, while the developers were made to pay compensations to some other land owners. He explained that the arrangement with the developers was that the state's government would commit 30 percent in total cost to the project after which the state makes same percentage of profits after the housing units have been disposed off.
