Nigeria Partners Italian Firm On Housing

To provide affordable houses for residents, the Niger State

The government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an Italian firm, Italworks Nigeria Limited, for the construction of 1,000 housing units of two and three bedrooms.

The project, to be executed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, is valued at N8 billion. Already, more than 3,000 off-takers have bidded for the 1,000 units of the two and three bedrooms detached bungalows to be constructed.

Niger State Housing Corporation General Manager Ahmed Abdullahi, at the MoU signing, said the government would provide 91 hectares of residential land along the Minna-Abuja express way in Paikoro Local Government area, while the Italian company, Italworks Nigeria Limited, would fund the project.

According to him, Niger State is gradually becoming a haven for industrialists and civil servants, and the 1,000 housing units will reduce accommodation problem in the state.

“This is part of the Governor Abubakar Sani Bello’s effort in providing affordable houses for Nigerlites. This project is one of the steps being taken by the state government to reduce the housing deficit in most towns in the state,” Abdullahi said.

Italworks Managing Director, Mr. Gaetano Crisa, explained that the project will commence next month and it will have backwards integration benefits as it is planned to create employment for thousands of youths in the state and enhance business opportunities, especially in the state’s building materials market sector.

Crisa assured that his firm has executed 10 projects successfully in Nigeria, and that Italian engineers and architects would be brought in to ensure the construction of quality and affordable houses in record time as contained in the MoU.

Source: The Nations