Housing ministry budgets N3.5bn for debt settlement

The Federal Ministry of Housing has revealed that it will spend N3.5bn to settle liabilities tied to the Millennium Development Goals, Sustainable Development Goals, Zonal Intervention Projects, and other direct mandate initiatives across the country.

This financial intervention revealed in the 2025 Appropriation Bill is part of the Ministry’s broader commitment to resolving outstanding obligations while driving critical infrastructure development.

In addition to the debt settlement, the ministry has undertaken various ongoing projects aimed at enhancing infrastructure and streamlining administrative processes.

A notable allocation of N85m was directed towards the valuation of Federal Government landed properties, both domestically and internationally, to align with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards.

Key infrastructural projects include road construction and erosion control measures across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The Ministry allocated N724m each for interventions in the South-East, North-Central, and South-West regions as well as in the South-South, North-East, and North-West zones.

These projects span states like Lagos, Niger, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Borno, and Kaduna, among others.

Education also received significant attention, with N520m earmarked for the construction of classrooms in over 20 states, including Lagos, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, and Sokoto. Similarly, N1.25bn was allocated for the construction of skill acquisition centres in states such as Yobe, Oyo, Plateau, and Zamfara to bolster vocational training and employment opportunities.

Efforts to modernise land administration processes are also evident.

The Ministry has committed N280m to automate the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy and N350m for automating ministerial consents on secondary land transactions. Additionally, N72m was allocated for consultancy services to improve land-based revenue generation, including a review of land charge regimes.