Just in:  Samples of houses to shelter IDPs across Nigeria inspected by Humanitarian Affairs Minister

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu  has announced  the federal government’s readiness  to build renewed hope low-cost shelters for the very poor, Internally Displaced Persons  (IDPs) and refugees across Nigeria.

This was disclosed in a statement  signed by the deputy director  Information, FMHAPA Rhoda Ishaku Iliya. She says this special project, according to the minister, was in line with President  Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to the provision dignified shelters for the  poor, internally displaced persons and refugees in the country. This is one of the ways of addressing multidimensional poverty in the country.

The Minister made this known during an inspection of prototype shelters of two sample houses (one bedroom & two bedrooms) at Idu village.

She opined that both samples were built by the local people in that community for themselves, using local materials in ten days and very cost effective, this will be applicable across Nigeria.

She said the government wants to achieve the project in a record time because lots of IDPs exist in different parts of Nigeria, and they need a befitting shelter they can call their homes. Recently, IDP camp was burnt down in Borno state. Benue had millions without shelter due to the farmers-Herders clash.

“What is also interesting about the project is the fact that we want to introduce the solar energy to it so that the shelters  are not dependent on the National Grid, but they can use the solar energy to provide at least the basics such as bulb light, electricity for charging their phones and do their basic things with in the locality”. 

The  Minister further stated that Mr. President directed that the shelters   be built by the local community to provide them with skills and economic  empowerment, as well as the dignity of owning their houses which the built by themselves under strict supervision by professionals

” The project is not a contract or to be built by a contractor. The local community will be given the dignity of building the house  they will live in. They will see it as their project, they will own it, and they will not vandalise or destroy it. ” 

“To ensure quality control, the construction of the houses will be supervised by professional architects, engineers and support from the Federal Ministry of Works”

Dr. Edu said that the  shelters will be built in Benue, Borno, Zamfara, Yobe,Cross River,Ebonyi  Lagos, Adamawa Bayelsa, and other states that have large numbers of IDPs, Refugees and extremely poor Nigerians.

According to her, the ground breaking ceremony of the houses was done in Benue State, where the building of forty shelters was flagged off. 

She also disclosed that ground clearing has been concluded in the 10 hectares of land in Benue while blocks mounding and preliminary work like digging is ongoing.