The Anambra Housing Development Corporation has called for a review of the Federal Government’s housing policy to allow states make prudent use of their land space.
The Managing Director of the corporation, Mr Willie Okafor, made the call at a news conference on Tuesday in Awka, the state capital.
Okafor said it was imperative for the federal government to consider developing separate housing policy for different states based on their peculiarities.
He said it had been difficult for Anambra to tap into the various federal housing schemes to provide accommodation for its residents due to the federal government’s single-story building policy.
He said the state housing plan was to develop mass high-rise buildings that could accommodate more people on the same space of land.
According to him, mass development of high-rise buildings will ensure judicious use of the scarce land in the state.
“It has not been feasible for Anambra state to tap into the federal government’s housing schemes.
“Statistics show that Anambra has been the second smallest state in Nigeria after Lagos and has the second-highest population density in the country.
“As a result of this, the cost of land, which is a critical asset in housing development, has become expensive due to high demand and the very low land mass,” Okafor said.
“It is a known fact that the Northern part of the country is blessed with ample land, while the South-Eastern parts do not have such luxury.
“As a result, the type of housing policy you adopt for states, like Nasarawa or Kogi, with very large land mass should not be the same for a state like Anambra.
“While you will be able to develop bungalows in Nasarawa, we cannot afford the same in Anambra because here, we want high-rise buildings.
“The reason is to ensure that more people are accommodated in a building on the same space that one could have built a bungalow,” Okafor said. (NAN)
