ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has disclosed plans by the Nigerian Navy to build 20,000 housing units in the next three years to offset the housing needs of naval officers and ratings.
Ibas disclosed this when the Director of African Region, UN-Habitats, Prof. Awoyinka Oyebanji and some Chinese real estate investors visited the Naval Headquarters, Abuja, to seek collaboration on housing.
He said that the Nigerian Navy was in dire housing needs, having a deficit of over 15,000 housing units, which has proved challenging for the authorities.
The Naval Chief noted that one of the greatest fears and concerns of their personnel is the home to settle with their families after retirement from service.
He said: “I am happy that you are able to make it to Nigeria. Like you rightly observed, Nigeria is bedevilled with housing deficit. Consequently, the Nigerian Navy is also heavily affected by this housing deficit.
“We are presently in short of 15,000 housing units which accounts to over 50 percent. This is what we are partnering with to see how we can bridge this gap in the next one year. This we intend to extend beyond Abuja where we started this housing projects.”
“I want to mention here that one of the greatest challenges that our men are having is what will happen to them after they leave service. We want to ensure that at the end of the carrier they should have a home to retire to. We are also very willing to go for 20,000 units and this in three years will be able to bridge the gap,” he revealed.
Earlier, Oyebanji promised to collaborate with the Nigerian Navy to meeting the housing needs of its personnel.
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He also assured that the Chinese investors present are reputable companies with excellent track records for building affordable and durable housing in a record time.
“The model we have introduced in Africa is working. Today we have a financial crisis and we know that the way we can bridge the housing issue is to have access to finance. Most of the companies are in the top Fortune 500 and at the end of the day we want to ensure that the housing is affordable. I am not speaking as a UN official but as a Nigeria,” he said.
“We want to ensure that by 2018 our President is commissioning affordable houses for the Navy. The loan will come and at the end you will own it, fast delivery, acceptability and affordability,” he stated.