‘Nigeria Housing Awards meant to promote excellence’

The Nigeria Housing Awards is now synonymous with excellence and players in the housing sector must endeavour to uphold that culture,  Bawa Bwari, a former Minister of Mines and Steel, has said. Bwari, who was the Chairman of the 4th Nigeria Housing Awards held in Abuja on Thursday, said the significance of the award ceremony […]

The Nigeria Housing Awards is now synonymous with excellence and players in the housing sector must endeavour to uphold that culture,  Bawa Bwari, a former Minister of Mines and Steel, has said.

Bwari, who was the Chairman of the 4th Nigeria Housing Awards held in Abuja on Thursday, said the significance of the award ceremony was not in the raising of award plaques or in clinking of glasses, but the ability to establish and sustain a culture of hard work and excellence.

He said, “He who rewards excellence makes room for healthy competition; the kind of competition that will enable real change.

“As a pioneer in this field, I commend the Nigeria Housing Awards for their commitment and vision for our housing and construction sectors.

“I commend the board of the Abuja International Housing Show who are also the organisers of this event. They stand out for their unparalleled advocacy in the area of housing in Nigeria, and I encourage them to do more.

“I charge the housing industry in its entirety to remain committed to hard work and excellence. We shall not rest until the last person owns a decent home in Nigeria. As we make that dream come true, we should also be mindful of achieving excellence in our urban planning; standard of housing and other ethical issues pertaining to housing delivery.”

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nigeria Housing Awards, Barr. Festus Adebayo, said the ceremony was meant to honour those who had contributed credibly in housing through policy making or execution.

Barr. Adebayo said, “Public and private sector professionals have been honoured for their creativity and innovations in this sector.”

He, however, said the awards ceremony was a call to action and a charge on stakeholders to always ensure due diligence, maintain standards and be ethical while executing housing projects.

He further said, “To be recognised here you must not have a history of short-changing subscribers or developing properties with questionable standards. Government cannot enforce these rules alone. So here is a call for responsibility and healthy competiveness.”

Urban Shelter Nigeria Limited won Real Estate Developer of the Year, while the company’s MD, Saadiya Aminu, won the Female CEO of Real Estate Company of the Year award.

Notable real estate developers, individuals and companies in the construction sector won various awards.