Nigeria has indicated its willingness to partner with South Africa in the development of over 1,000 housing units in the Federal Capital Territory and other states of the federation.

The project, targeted at the low, middle and high income earners, is estimated to cost about US$2 billion.

As part of the deal, the Nigerian government will provide land for the project, while a consortium from South Africa, in collaboration with the South African government, will finance it.

Grace Ekpiwhre, Nigeria's Minister of State for Works, Housing and Urban Development, confirmed this on Wednesday in Abuja, when a delegation of South African investors paid a courtesy visit to the ministry.

The minister said the move was part of government's efforts towards providing affordable houses for Nigerians.

"Raising the housing stock of the country is part of the mandate of the ministry and we are leaving no stone unturned in providing the enabling environment for investors to partner the private sector in the provision of adequate housing to the population, which will benefit the various segments of the population," the Lagos-based Punch newspaper quoted the minister as saying.

"We need to produce housing for the low income, middle and high income groups of the population," she said.

"The way we will provide the enabling environment is to ensure that investors are properly guided to be able to invest in the housing sector," she added.

The minister said the government would work out the details of how to collaborate with the South Africans in the development of mass housing in Nigeria.

(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2009)