The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in Kaduna State, Dr Halliru Musa Soba, has disclosed the ministry's readiness to tackle the state's housing deficit.

Soba, who spoke during the inauguration of the local organising committee (LOC) of the Kaduna International Housing Exhibition, KADIHE 1.0, which will be held on July 1 and 2, 2024, said the exhibition will showcase new technologies, products, services and housing projects across the region.

"We are going to have two sets of houses apart from the mass housing that we are embarking on. We also have social housing, which will be affordable to all, even to low-income earners. I assure you that all houses will be affordable to every low-income earner in the state.

"Because of the population explosion, the houses you have presently may not be available in the next two to three years, so you must plan for housing," he said.

He further reiterated that the maiden event will showcase cutting-edge housing and construction technologies, products and services, mortgage finance options and housing and construction projects across the state and northern Nigeria.

"The event will attract over 5000 delegates, including real estate investors, developers, government officials and industry professionals.

"After health, housing should be second. You can reduce the mortality rate, but without adequate standards of living, which housing is part of, you cannot achieve that high life expectancy."

When asked about the state's housing deficit statistics, the permanent secretary said, "We are trying to compute the actual housing deficit. We are working very closely with the Bureau of Statistics to determine the actual housing deficit. We are actually experiencing a housing deficit.