The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has praised the Nigerian Army for its initiative in providing affordable housing for its personnel.
The commendation came during a meeting on Tuesday, July 16th, 2024, where Major General Joseph D. Omale, Managing Director of the Nigerian Army Post Service Housing Development Limited, discussed the Army’s housing scheme with the Minister.
Dangiwa acknowledged the Nigerian Army’s alignment with the ministry’s goal of ensuring affordable housing for all Nigerians, regardless of income or status.
He emphasized the critical importance of housing as a fundamental human need, expressing satisfaction with the Army’s proactive steps in meeting this need for its personnel.
“I am pleased that you are leading the charge in providing welfare to your service members,” Dangiwa said.
He also commended Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff, for addressing affordability challenges by waiving land and infrastructure costs associated with housing projects.
Dangiwa stated that reducing the costs is pivotal in making homes accessible to more soldiers.
Regarding financing options, the Minister suggested leveraging encumbered land with clear title deeds and identifying potential homeowners to approach the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) for loans.
He reiterated the significance of the National Housing Fund (NHF), where contributions from salaries enable affordable mortgages with a low 6% interest rate over 30 years, making it the most affordable option in Nigeria.
Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Dangiwa outlined key achievements, including reforms in housing agencies, land administration improvements, and the establishment of building materials hubs across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
He also announced plans for the National Social Housing Fund (NHSF) aimed at providing homes for those without means.
Addressing the National Housing Programme (NHP), the Minister noted ongoing efforts to allocate housing units to fallen heroes’ families as directed by President Tinubu.
He urged Defence Headquarters to expedite the provision of the hero list to facilitate prompt allocation, as sales of these units are already underway.
In response, Major General Joseph Omale brought to light efforts to broaden homeownership opportunities through the Affordable Home Ownership Option, focusing particularly on non-officer cadre soldiers who were previously underserved in housing schemes.
The meeting concluded with a commitment to collaborate further to ensure Nigerian soldiers have access to affordable and dignified housing, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance military welfare.
Recall that the minister recently expressed concern over the inability of more than 80% of Nigerians to afford mortgage housing due to a lack of access to housing finance.
Dangiwa emphasized that affordability is a significant challenge that governments must address to provide sustainable housing solutions.
“Of the 43 million households, over 85% have less than N1.1 million in purchasing power. Of this, 40% (about 17.2 million households) fall into the poverty income group, and 47% (about 20.2 million) fall into the low-income group,” he explained.
