The Federal Government, on Friday, inaugurated a portal for its National Housing Programme and urged Nigerians to apply for affordable homes through it.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who inaugurated the portal in Abuja, noted that access to affordable houses had remained a challenge for the average Nigerian.

He said the housing construction program was being carried out in phases, adding that over 5,000 houses had been completed in the first and second phases across 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He said Lagos State had yet to provide the Federal Government with land, while Rivers State would join in the third phase of the project.

“We currently have over 5,000 units at different stages of completion. The houses range from one, two, and three semi-detached bungalows and one- to three-bedroom flats,” the minister said.

He said the prices of the buildings would range from N7m to N16.19m, adding that payments could either be through a mortgage or any financial system of preference.

Fashola said, “The least selling price for each of these houses will be N7.2m and the highest will be N16.19m. The highest is a three-bedroom bungalow; it is not just the house but it also has land along with it. The bungalows are a little more expensive than the blocks of flats, which do not have additional land.

“There are some slight price differences in the blocks of flats built in the riverine and swampy areas, for example, houses in Edo, Bayelsa.”

He added, “This is the first time we have a platform that every Nigerian has access to. This provides an opportunity for all Nigerians to apply and ensure a fair process of allocation.

“We will soon start the official handover and tape-cutting as the subscribers come in. We have maintenance and facilities managers in all the estates.”

Fashola urged Nigerians to register and apply for the houses online via nhp.worksandhousing.gov.ng.