By Aideloje OJo
Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger state said at the weekend that his administration was opting out of Public, Private Partnership arrangements with developers in the construction of houses and other projects in the state.
Aliyu stated this at the weekend in Minna when he commissioned the Lavu Estate, adding that firms were going into PPP arrangements even when they knew that “they do not have the financial capability to execute the projects.”
“Some of them even ask for the certificate of occupancy (C of O) of the land so that they could sell it or use it as collateral with banks,” he said.
He said his administration was, however, ready to provide conducive environment for investors wishing to execute projects on their own without government financial involvement, adding that government was ready to provide other incentives to facilitate smooth operation of such developers.
Aliyu said land was in the custody of government and that no one had the right to sell land with approval from government.
The governor also said government was taking steps to ensure planned development of estates in Minna, and expressed worry over Sauka Kahuta, Angwan Kaje and other places within the city that were growing without planning with serious consequences.
He commended the Urban Shelter Company for establishing the Lavu Estate in Minna, adding that he was happy that the 300 plots in the estate had already been sold out.
He called on other firms to emulate the Urban Shelter in meeting the housing needs of the people and advised beneficiaries of the estate to secure relevant documents from authorities before commencing development of their plots.
