'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER – The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has lauded the Nigerian Army's initiative to provide affordable housing for its soldiers. Dangiwa made these remarks during a meeting with Major General Joseph D. Omale, Managing Director and CEO of the Nigerian Army Post Service Housing Development Limited (PSHDL), in his office on Tuesday.
The Minister praised the Army for aligning with the Ministry's mandate to provide affordable housing for all Nigerians, emphasizing that housing is a fundamental human need. "I am happy you are already ahead in providing that welfare to men of your service," Dangiwa said.
Dangiwa also commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, for removing the costs of land and infrastructure, which significantly impacts housing affordability. "I am happy the Chief of Army Staff has graciously seen to the affordability concern of most of the men; otherwise, the houses will be built and become unaffordable," he noted.
Addressing the issue of financing affordable housing estates, the Minister suggested that the Army could approach the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) for loans, given they have titled lands, identified off-takers, and house designs. He also highlighted the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme, which requires all Nigerians to contribute 2.5 percent of their salary, providing mortgages with a 6 percent interest rate over 30 years.
Dangiwa listed the Ministry's achievements under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, which include setting up reform task teams on housing agencies, land reform, and establishing building materials manufacturing hubs in six geo-political zones.
He also revealed that the Ministry is working on establishing a National Social Housing Fund (NHSF) to assist those without the means to purchase homes. Additionally, Dangiwa mentioned that the Ministry has National Housing Programme (NHP) houses in all 36 states, urging the Army to encourage their officers to buy these units, especially those earmarked for fallen heroes as directed by President Tinubu.
The Minister called on the Defence Headquarters to provide the list of fallen heroes to expedite the allocation of houses to their families, ensuring the Presidential directive's full implementation as the sale of these units is ongoing.
Major General Joseph Omale, in his earlier remarks, stated that they sought the Minister's assistance in facilitating access to mortgage facilities for soldiers at the FMBN. He noted that the Chief of Army Staff initiated the Affordable Home Ownership Option for all soldiers, particularly targeting non-officer cadres, as past schemes primarily benefited officers.