The Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Suleiman Hassan Zarma, has said that the national building code is being revised to curb the incessant cases of building collapse in the country.
The minister also said the ministry is undertaking urban and slum upgrading programmes to encourage housing delivery and improve the living condition of Nigerians.
He explained that the slum upgrading programme is in partnership with UN-Habitat to implement a Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP) initiative in Nigeria.
Zarma said, “This initiative has been adopted by the UN agency as a sustainable way of addressing the salient issues and challenges of slum situation in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries, and we are fortunate to benefit from it.”
He said three cities: Karu in Nasarawa State, Ifako-Ijaye in Lagos State and Onitsha in Anambra State have been profiled at the instance of the international agency.
“Other states namely Katsina, Yobe Rivers, Osun, Ondo and Kogi have further adopted the PSUP initiative, and successfully profiled some of their cities,” he said.
Zarma said Nigeria is at the second phase of the programme which involves implementation of prioritized projects to alleviate slum conditions in the profiled settlements.
“The ministry intends to replicate such urban development/prioritization studies and subsequently implement urban improvement projects across the six geo-political zones of the country in conformity with the development agenda of the current administration, and sustainable development goals of building, vibrant, inclusive cities and communities nationwide,” he said.
