By Rukayat Adeyemi
THE FEDERAL government on Tuesday confirmed its readiness to rehabilitate and upgrade unused and dilapidated buildings as well as assets in Lagos State in the coming months.
Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, confirmed this during an official facility assessment visit in Lagos.
Dangiwa stated that the buildings, left unrehabilitated for some time, pose challenges and security concerns for the Lagos State Government.
The minister lamented the deplorable state of various federal government buildings assessed, noting the lack of water and electricity supply, with most facilities in disrepair.
“The buildings that the federal government can put its money for upgrade will be done, while the one we need collaboration from the private sector, would be done also.
“The private sector will bring in their money, rehabilitate and upgrade them to a befitting status and then rent them out to willing offttakers, to recoup their investment before returning it back to the federal government.
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“This is a better offer of collaboration that we intend to do,” he said.
At Lagos Field Headquarters’ Office at Tafawa Balewa, Dangiwa revealed that the building houses over 40 federal government’s ministries, departments and agencies, including the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
He noted that most of the institutions were not putting any of their funding towards the rehabilitation of the living conditions of where they work.
“Since they are expecting only the Ministry of Housing to do that, we decided to come on board to see what we could to upgrade it.
“We have the phase one, two, three of the rehabilitation. The basic one, we have told the Controller to itemise in order of priority.
According to him, 12 of the deplorable facilities of the federal government across the states would be visited in the course of the three-day assessment visit.
Dangiwa said the visiting team also paid a courtesy call to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to discuss area of collaboration between the federal and state governments.
He disclosed that the federal and the state overnments had agreed to work together and set up a tripartite committee to work that would ensure concerns between the parties were resolved amicably for the benefit of all.
Earlier, the Controller of Housing, Lagos, Mrs Funmilayo Olayiwola, said that lack of power supply, water, dilapidated structures and obsolete operational vehicles were part of the challenges of the facilities, thereby limiting productivity of staff.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister visited the old Federal Secretariat, Ikoyi; Federal Land Registry, Ribadu in Ikoyi, Craft Training Schools in Ikoyi and Harvey Road, Yaba.
Also, 60 beds hostel facilities at Onikan, National Population Commission Land at Surulere and Eric More Housing and Treatment Plant Project at Surulere.
Most of the buildings visited served as offices of the federal government workers in Lagos State before becoming vacant or unused due to the relocation of the Federal Capital Territory from Lagos to Abuja on Dec. 12, 1991.
The minister was accompanied by the Minister of State, Mr Yusuf Ata, and Permanent Secretary, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi.
On Thursday, the minister will continue his working visit to inspect some on-going Federal Government Housing Estates and Projects and also engage stakeholders on land administration. (NAN)
