The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has reaffirmed its determination to deliver the Nasarawa Renewed Hope Estate Project within six months.

The ministry’s permanent secretary, Shuaib Belgore, gave the assurance on Friday. According to a statement by the ministry, Mr Belgore made the remarks during an inspection visit to the project site in Lafia.

He said contractors were summoned for an urgent meeting to address their concerns and accelerate progress towards the project’s timely completion. Mr Belgore expressed concern over the slow pace of work, noting that all obstacles hindering the project’s delivery would be promptly resolved.

“While the road layout has been well executed and electricity and water projects are advancing, the building construction works have suffered noticeable setbacks,” he said.

He added that although some progress had been achieved, the pace of work had slowed considerably, creating an impression of near abandonment.

“The contractors must sit up and get the job done. We cannot allow this project to drag on indefinitely. If delays persist, we will not hesitate to re-award the contracts to more serious companies,” he said.

Mr Belgore also directed Bashiru Garba, the federal controller of housing in Nasarawa, to liaise with the state government for the speedy reallocation of land affected by gully erosion. He stressed that the Ministry must receive full documentation for the new site to ensure smooth continuation of the project.

Mr Belgore reiterated the ministry’s commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Housing Agenda, assuring Nigerians of timely and quality project delivery.

Mr Garba explained that part of the delay stemmed from gully erosion on the initially allocated land. He disclosed that the state government had since provided a replacement site for the project to continue. 

He said the Nasarawa State Renewed Hope Estate comprises 250 housing blocks being developed by San Afar Nigeria Limited and Al Yuma Ventures and Investment Limited.

According to him, 125 blocks, covering various categories of housing units, are currently at about 30 per cent completion.

(NAN)