Nigeria ‘going out of recession’ — Minister

Nigeria is slowly getting out of economic recession, Mustapha Shehuri, the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, said Sunday.

Mr. Shehuri spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, while on an inspection tour of housing projects initiated by the federal government.

The minister appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience, and support President Muhammadu Buhari in his efforts to tackle the numerous challenges bedevilling the country.

“We are slowly going out of recession. Nigerians should (be) rest assured that the economy is being well managed,” he said.

“Government is focused on revamping the economy. Corruption is being tackled head-on.

“Nigerians need to be patient considering the circumstances Nigeria was in when this government assumed office,” Mr. Shehuri added.

Commenting on the housing projects, the minister said the Buhari administration was committed to providing affordable housing facilities for Nigerian people.

This, he said, was in fulfilment of one of the government’s campaign promises to the electorates in 2015. He said each zone in the country had specific housing design.

He also said that locally sourced materials were being used for the project, adding that the initiative would create employment opportunities for Nigerians and add to the growth of the economy.

The minister noted that with the support of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, the government would build more houses to provide shelter for people.