The Federal Government has handed over 1,000 housing units to the Borno State government for the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ngwom village, Mafa local government area of the state.
The project was embarked upon by the North- East Development Commission (NEDC) as part of the 10,000 Housing Scheme initiated by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Speaking at the event held at the Borno State Government House in Maiduguri on Thursday, the Managing Director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, said the houses are part of the Special Presidential Intervention in Borno (SPIB) initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
According to him, the SPIB was designed to provide decent accommodation for people of displaced communities in Borno State.
Alkali said: “As part of the exercise of the SPIB, the NEDC undertake the construction of the first 1,000 houses from its own resources and fund the equipping of the technical and vocational skills centres around the state at an estimated cost of N2 billion.
“The 1,000 houses consist of blocks of four units of two-bedroom bungalows with veranda and courtyards in clusters arrangement. Each block sits on 400 square metres with a perimeter fence and ample space for other home activities.”
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, said the federal government was determined to providing shelter and empowerment opportunities for the rural populace through various programmes.
In his remarks, the Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, thanked the federal government for its support to the state.
He said the gesture would fast-track the resettlement of IDPs in their ancestral homes
