The federal government has announced plans to construct 774,000 housing units across the country, under its national social housing programme, with serving and retired military men, and women among the targeted beneficiaries.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, disclosed this when he received the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Army Post Service Housing Development Limited (PHDL), Major General K.O. Ukandu, who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Key Highlights:
Federal Government plans to build 774,000 social housing units nationwide.
Serving and retired military personnel are among the targeted beneficiaries.
The government also plans 1,550 military housing units before year-end.
Army’s AHOOAS scheme helps soldiers own affordable retirement homes.
The initiative aims to improve housing access and personnel welfare.
Darma said the housing programme is designed to make home ownership more accessible to low- and medium-income Nigerians, including personnel of the Armed Forces, police and other security and service units.
According to him, the programme would particularly benefit serving and retired military personnel who do not own houses and may wish to return to their communities after completing their service.
“We plan to build over 770,000 houses all over Nigeria under what we call the social housing programme. Members of the military, both serving and retired, can favourably benefit from this scheme,” the minister said.
“Our target is to reach people, especially in the military, who are serving this country but do not have their own accommodation, and who may wish after service to return home.
“As you know, Africa is family-oriented. People always want to go back to their homes. These social housing estates will provide them with shelter when they finish their service,” he added.
The minister also disclosed that the federal government is working to deliver 1,550 housing units under the Renewed Hope Military Housing Project at Brains and Hammers before the end of the year.
He said the housing policies and projects being implemented by the ministry would take into consideration the welfare of Nigerians serving in the military, police, other security agencies and the civil service.
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“Everything we are doing in this ministry will also consider people who serve this country, both in the military, in the police force, and other service units, including civil servants,” Darma said.
Earlier, Ukandu thanked the ministry for its support for the military, saying the visit is part of efforts to advance the Nigerian Army’s “Soldier First” concept, which places the welfare of personnel at the centre of military administration.
Ukandu said the Army’s Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS) initiative is designed to help personnel acquire homes, with soldiers contributing 10 percent of the housing cost, while the army covers the balance.
“Our job is to acquire land from state governments and other sources at affordable rates, and make it available to officers and soldiers to build their retirement homes, supported by long-term mortgage arrangements,” he said.
He added that PHDL was mandated to provide affordable retirement homes for army personnel and appealed to the Housing Ministry to support the Renewed Hope Military Housing Project.
“Everything revolves around the soldier. If they are well trained and their welfare is taken care of, we will succeed. The Soldier First concept ensures that everything a soldier requires is provided first,” Ukandu said.
