ARC ARIZE URGES REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS TO ALIGN WITH STATE GOVERNMENT HOUSING AGENDA
By Ekweaga Uzoma
The Anambra State Commissioner for Housing, Arc. Henry Arize, has called on real estate developers to align their activities with the state government housing development agenda to promote sustainable growth and expand access to affordable housing.
Commissioner Arize made the call when the executive members of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Anambra State Chapter, paid him a courtesy visit at his office in the Jerome Udoji Secretariat, Awka, on July 14.
The commissioner said Governor Chukwuma Soludo remains committed to infrastructural development, particularly through the state’s social housing programme. He disclosed that the government is prepared to allocate land with Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) to credible developers capable of completing housing projects within agreed timelines.
He urged the association to align its requests with the state’s land administration policies, noting that Anambra is the second smallest state in Nigeria by land mass after Lagos State.
Commissioner Arize expressed concern over fraudulent practices in the real estate sector, alleging that some operators have exploited people’s lands for business transactions without proper safeguards.
Speaking on access to housing finance, the commissioner clarified that there is no law requiring real estate developers to register with REDAN before they can access loans from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).
According to him, any qualified landowner who can provide the required 30 per cent equity contribution is eligible to apply for a Federal Mortgage housing loan.
On the state’s social housing programme, Commissioner Arize disclosed that the Ministry of Housing has entered into agreements with some financial institutions to facilitate the project, explaining that once the design stage is completed, construction will commence, while site layout preparations are already underway.
Earlier, the Chairman of REDAN, Anambra State Chapter, Dr. Sunny Nwachukwu, congratulated Arize on his appointment and reaffirmed the long-standing relationship between the ministry and the association, expressing concern that Anambra had not benefited significantly from several federal government housing initiatives, including the Renewed Hope Housing Programme, particularly the proposed 2,000 housing units targeted at low-income earners.
He appealed to the commissioner to facilitate a meeting between the association and Governor Soludo to enable REDAN to brief him on the Federal Government Housing Schemes and the potential benefits for the people of Anambra State.
The REDAN chairman noted that the association possesses the technical capacity and professional expertise to contribute meaningfully to the state’s economic development while helping to reduce the housing deficit.
Also speaking, the immediate past Chairman of the association, Sir Lawrence Nkwonta, stressed the importance of cooperative societies in accessing housing finance, saying that cooperative membership is a prerequisite for obtaining certain housing loans through REDAN and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.
Other members of the REDAN delegation included the Secretary, Dr. Nzube Ekebosi; Financial Secretary, Mr. Benjamin Okeke; Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ikpeze Emeka; and member, Chief Ike Ezeokafor.
Ekweaga Uzoma is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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