The Lagos State Government has said it is open to collaboration to bridge the housing deficits in the state.
It added that it was working with the Federal Housing Authority to provide affordable housing for both residents of the state and Nigerians abroad.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, according to a statement on Monday, stated this when he received the management of FHA, led by the Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer, Oyetunde Ojo, at the Government House, Marina on Saturday.
Sanwo-Olu maintained that the FHA vision tallied with the state objectives of providing affordable housing for residents at the various strata of the economy.
He said his administration had provided 18 different housing estate projects in different parts of the state to reduce housing deficits in Lagos since he assumed office.
Sanwo-Olu stated, “The Federal Housing Authority is known for opening new areas, new cities, and corridors. We can see from your (Hon. Oyetunji Ojo) drive and move in the last couple of weeks that indeed, you want to make a positive impact in your tenure. “For us in Lagos, we know what the deficits are and are open to collaboration. In the last four and a half years that we have been in government, we have inaugurated about 18 different housing estate projects in different parts of the state. The citizens want shelter, and we have been very strategic and thought outside the box to create housing solutions that would meet the needs of the citizens.
“Your (FHA) vision sits with our objective, which is to be able to provide housing needs for various strata of the economy. We can collaborate. There are a lot of needs for Lagosians that we can collaborate on.”
In remarks, Ojo said the synergy with the state became necessary because the FHA wanted to learn from Lagos housing model to make Nigerians both at home and abroad have confidence in the system.
He stated, “We want a synergy between the Federal Housing Authority and the Lagos State Government because, when it comes to housing, Lagos State is leading in housing models in West Africa. We want to learn, and that is why we need synergy with the Lagos State Government. President Tinubu must flag off and commission FHA housing projects in Lagos State. We want people abroad to be secured in buying properties so that when they pay by installments with the digitalisation FHA is about to do in collaboration with the Diaspora Commission, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Lagos State Government, our people abroad will be safe. We want a place where we will partner, and people overseas would be very confident about it.”