Housing Minister commends Nigerian Army housing scheme concept 

By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has commended the Nigerian Army concept for affordable housing provision for its soldiers.

Dangiwa who the commendation, Tuesday, when he received Major General Joseph D. Omale, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Army Post Service Housing Development Limited (PSHDL), a subsidiary established to implement the Nigerian Army Housing Scheme, in his office in Abuja, applauded the Nigerian Army for keying into the Ministry’s housing mandate of providing affordable housing for all Nigerians irrespective of class and income,.

He noted that housing is a fundamental need to any human being, while commenting the laudable project.

The minister expressed satisfaction that the initiative was already ahead in providing welfare to men of the service.

Dangiwa also commended the Chief of Army Staff,  Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, for identifying with housing affordability for the soldiers, by his gracious removal of costs of land and infrastructure that would have made the houses un affordable  to acquire, noting that the basic challenge of housing is the cost.

He said, “I am happy the Chief of Army Staff has graciously seen to  the affordability concern of the most of the men, otherwise the houses will be built and become unaffordable,”

He affirmed that, the cost of land and infrastructure provision is very critical to housing development and affordability.

On access to loans to finance affordable estates, the Minister advised that, with the availability of encumbered land with title deeds, identification of off-takers, design of the houses, the agency could approach the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria(FMBN) to access the loan to build the houses.

Dangiwa said that, through the NHF scheme, all Nigerians are to contribute 2.5 percent of their salary, explaining that, it is from the pool of fund that mortgages are provided with 6 percent interest rate for a 30 year period, stating that it is the cheapest anyone can get in Nigeria.

The Minister listed the achievements of the ministry under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which include setting up of reform task teams on the housing agencies reform under the ministry, land reform and establishment of building materials manufacturing hub in six geo-political zones of the country, as key to housing development in the country.

Dangiwa further revealed that as part of efforts by President Tinubu to ensure all Nigerians have access to affordable and dignified homes, the ministry has been given approval to set up a machinery to provide the framework for the establishment of National Social Housing Fund, NHSF, to cater for those who do not have means of purchase.

On National Housing Programme, NHP, the Minister informed that the ministry has houses under this programme in 36 states of the federation, advising Nigerian Army to consider getting their officers to buy from the houses

He noted  ” these National Housing Units are the ones Mr. President directed us to provide to the fallen heroes.”

The Minister said the ministry is waiting for Defence Headquarters to provide the list of the fallen heroes to enable the ministry allocate houses to their families, urging them to hasten up to ensure full  implementation of the Presidential directive,  as the sales of the housing units  are already ongoing.

Speaking earlier, the Managing Director,  Nigerian Army Post Housing Development Limited, Major General Joseph Omali, said they were in the ministry to appeal for the minister’s assistance in facilitating access to mortgage facilities for their soldiers at FMBN.

In a statement signed by Badamasi Salisu Haiba, Director Information and Public Relations of the ministry of Housing, he further disclosed that the Chief of Army Staff, on assumption of duty, initiated a scheme known as Affordable Home Ownership Option for all soldiers, primarily targeted soldiers who are not within the officer cadre, because it has been observed that the past housing scheme only provided officers the opportunity to  purchase houses.