The federal government says it is ready to partner with the private sector to boost housing delivery, urban renewal and national development in the country.

The permanent secretary of the federal ministry of housing and urban development, Shuaib Belgore, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

The statement was issued by the ministry’s director of press and public relations, Badamasi Haiba.

This followed a courtesy visit by a delegation from TEC Engineering Company (Nigeria) Ltd., a subsidiary of China Railway International Group.

He said the ministry was ready to deepen engagement with TEC Engineering, particularly in large-scale housing development, urban renewal and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).

“The ministry is committed to providing affordable homes through direct construction, PPPs and collaboration with private developers.

“Companies with the capacity to deliver large numbers of houses will be important to the government’s efforts to address the country’s housing needs.

“We are looking at entities that want to build very large volumes of houses in Nigeria, and we are looking into that,” he said.

The permanent secretary said Nigeria had significant investment opportunities and remained open to partnerships capable of contributing to national development.

He said the ministry was also interested in working with companies that could contribute to urban renewal and improve living conditions in communities.

Mr Belgore explained that urban renewal involved more than providing houses, adding that infrastructure such as roads, water, drainage, electricity and healthcare facilities was also important.

He commended TEC Engineering for its ongoing project in Kano State and acknowledged the challenges caused by delays in budgetary releases.

Mr Belgore encouraged the company to sustain the pace of work, assuring it that the necessary provisions would be addressed.

He also welcomed TEC Engineering’s interest in exploring other investment opportunities in Nigeria.

The permanent secretary noted that, although railway development was under the Ministry of Transport, TEC Engineering could explore possible PPP opportunities in the sector.

He said the ministry was also open to learning from China’s experience in affordable housing and urban renewal.

Mr Belgore expressed readiness for further technical discussions and knowledge-sharing between the ministry and the company.

Earlier, the president of China Railway International Group, Zhao Jinxiang, thanked the ministry for entrusting TEC Engineering with the reconstruction of the covered conduits and roads project in Kano State.

Mr Jinxiang said the company would continue to push forward with the project despite challenges at the project site.

He said the visit was also an opportunity to discuss future areas of cooperation, particularly in urban infrastructure, underground ducts, wastewater and sewage treatment.

Mr Jinxiang disclosed that the company had implemented more than 80 projects across 12 states in Nigeria.

He also said that the company currently had about 30 Chinese and more than 500 Nigerian employees.

According to him, the company has provided work opportunities for more than 10,000 people in local communities.

Mr Jinxiang said Nigeria remained an important market for the company and expressed its readiness to deploy its capacity and expertise to support urban renewal and development in the country.

 (NAN)