General News
YOBE Government said the COVID-19 pandemic had affected its original plan to construct 3,600 housing units, bringing the figure down to 2,350.
The State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Alhaji Bukar Dauda, announced this at the ongoing ministerial briefing organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Thursday in Damaturu.
He said that in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought about the dwindling of government revenue, the state had decided to reduce the number of housing units to be constructed.
Dauda said the government’s initial intention was to utilize the N15 billion loan facility to construct 3,600 houses.
It also intended to source additional funds for the provision of necessary infrastructural facilities in all the 26 estates.
The commissioner explained that the cost of the first phase of 1,800 housing units, which consisted of 699 units of three-bedroom, 326 units of two-bedroom urban, and 775 units of two-bedroom rural stood at N7.4 billion.
According to him, the state government later decided to construct only 550 units of three-bedroom costing N3.1 billion under the second phase, instead of 1,800 units earlier planned.
Dauda also said that N4 billion was budgeted for the provision of infrastructures and skill acquisition training for 152 youths program on interlocking.
He added that 919 units out of 2,350 have been completed 100 percent and ready for delivery.
The remaining 1,431, he said, have reached advanced stages of completion. (NAN)
Tags: COVID-19 alters Yobe’s plan to build 3600 housing units – Commissioner
