FG to build low-cost shelters for IDPs, refugees, others

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Betta Edu, has announced the Federal Government’s plan to build low-cost shelters for the poor, Internally Displaced Persons, and refugees across the country.

Edu also disclosed that the special project was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to providing dignified shelters for the poor, internally displaced persons, and refugees in the country as a way of addressing multidimensional poverty.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Director of Information in the Ministry, Rhoda Iliya, on Tuesday, following the  Minister’s inspection of prototype shelters of two sample houses (one bedroom & two bedrooms) at Idu village in Abuja.

According to the statement, Edu said the government hoped to achieve the project in record time, to address the needs of IDPs in different parts of Nigeria, and provide a befitting shelter they could call home, while noting the burning of an IDP camp in Borno State and in Benue State, where millions were 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 within the locality.”

The Minister further stated that the President had 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 they 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 houses 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,” she added.

The statement also read 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”

Dr Edu also disclosed that the groundbreaking ceremony of the houses was done in Benue State, where the building of forty shelters was flagged off, adding that ground clearing has been concluded in the 10 hectares of land in Benue, while moulding of blocks and preliminary works like digging was ongoing.