UNITED NATIONS HOUSING RIGHTS EXPERT TO VISIT NIGERIA
“I would like to learn more about programmes and policies put in place to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11.1, which commits governments to ensuring access to safe, affordable and adequate housing and basic services for all by 2030’, Farha added.
“I am particularly interested to learn more about the Government’s recent commitment to build one million homes per year until 2033. Housing affordability, particularly in urban areas, has become an issue of concern worldwide’.
‘A contributing factor is housing speculation, which serves to increase housing prices and pushes residents out of their neighbourhoods and cities. I hope to gain an understanding as to whether such trends are also present in Nigeria,”she said.
The statement added that, he will also examine issues including substandard housing conditions, forced evictions, access to services and to justice for the right to housing and the conditions of particular vulnerable groups including women, people living in informal settlements and those who are homeless.
Penpushing also reports that, Farha will meet senior Government officials from the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, and other Ministries, and is expected to have talks with Governors, State-level Ministries, and public institutions responsible for human rights, urban development and combating homelessness.
The Special Rapporteur will also hold meetings with people living in various neighbourhoods in and around Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt, and representatives of civil society, and will equally hold a press conference on September 23 at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, in Abuja to share her preliminary findings and recommendations.
Penpushing further reports that, Farha will present a comprehensive report of her visit to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in March 2020.
Meanwhile, it is on record that, Nigeria faces significant housing challenges, including the growth of informal settlements and the forced eviction of communities for development projects.
