The Federal Government says it has created no fewer than 252,800 jobs for skilled and unskilled workers through investment in housing projects under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Ahmed Dangiwa, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, revealed this on Tursday while speaking at the 13th National Council on Lands Housing and Urban Development meeting holding in Gombe.

Dangiwa said that housing investment had positively impacted on economic growth, job creation, and poverty alleviation.

According to him, under the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, there are construction underway at 14 sites, comprising a total of 10,112 housing units.

He said that the project includes 250-unit Renewed Hope Estates with 1, 2, and 3-bedroom semi-detached bungalows in Yobe, Gombe Nasarawa, Benue, Sokoto, Katsina, Abia, Ebonyi, Delta, and Akwa Ibom States.

He added that there was also ongoing work at the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City in the FCT, the 2,000-unit Renewed Hope City in Kano, and another 2,000-unit Renewed Hope City in Lagos.

He said that a significant number of these units were at the roofing stage, nearing completion and inauguration.

“Constructing the 10,112 units underway nationwide has created over 252,800 jobs for skilled and unskilled workers, with an average of 25 jobs per home.

“Workers, such as plumbers, masons, and labourers, earn an average of about N150,000 per month with a daily wage of N5,000, in addition to economic activities around the sites,” he said.

The minister said that the Tinubu’s administration had prioritised investments in the housing sector towards tackling the housing deficit in the country and ensuring affordable houses for all Nigerians.

Explaining further, Dangiwa said with the projection of the country’s urban population by 2050, it had become imperative for the government to invest more towards tackling the projected population growth in urban areas.

“As we chart the course for urban development in Nigeria, we must grasp the scale of our urban growth and the profound challenges it brings.

“Nigeria’s urban population is expanding rapidly, driven by an annual growth rate of 4.1 per cent.

“From just 9.4 per cent in 1950, our urban population now exceeds 52 per cent, with projections indicating a rise to 70 per cent by 2050.

“By then, Nigeria will likely be the world’s third most populous country, with over 400 million people,” Dangiwa said.

The minister stated that the expansion spanned all six geo-political zones, where cities grow at unprecedented rates.

According to him, Nigeria has eight cities with populations above one million and 81 cities with populations between 100,000 and one million.

He said that the rapid growth had been accompanied with pressing challenges, adding that about  58.8 per cent of urban residents live in slum conditions, with a national housing deficit of 16 to 18 million units.

Dangiwa said that efforts were being strengthened to ensure sustainable urbanism, a future where Nigeria’s cities work for everyone, delivering economic, social, and environmental benefits for present and future generations alike.