The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to troop welfare with the commissioning of a 60-unit Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS) Housing Estate and a Post Service Housing Development Limited (PHDL) Shopping Complex in Ibadan.
The projects, located at Akobo, were unveiled as part of sustained efforts to improve the living conditions, morale and post-service stability of Nigerian Army personnel.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Lieutenant General Shaibu described the development as a practical expression of the Nigerian Army’s Soldier First philosophy, stressing that access to decent and affordable housing remains central to operational effectiveness and long-term welfare.
According to a statement signed by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the COAS noted that the AHOOAS scheme was designed to ensure that soldiers retire with dignity through secure home ownership in locations of their choice.
“Access to decent and affordable housing is not a privilege but a necessity for morale, operational efficiency and post-service stability. This scheme is structured to ensure our soldiers retire in dignity, with the assurance of a secure home,” the COAS said.
Lieutenant General Shaibu recalled that the pilot phase of the AHOOAS project at Idu, Abuja, delivered over 400 housing units, all currently occupied by soldiers and their families, adding that the success of the pilot informed the expansion of the scheme to Ibadan, Benin, Jos, Akwa Ibom and other locations nationwide.
He further disclosed that plans are underway to fast-track home ownership opportunities for Army Warrant Officers as part of broader welfare reforms.
Commending stakeholders, the COAS expressed appreciation to the Oyo State Government for its consistent support to military formations and acknowledged traditional institutions for promoting peace and cooperation within host communities.
He also lauded the management of PHDL for professionalism in project execution and recognised Family Homes Funds Limited for partnering with the Nigerian Army to construct 50 housing units for widows of fallen heroes.
Calling for wider collaboration, Lieutenant General Shaibu urged other state governments to support the AHOOAS scheme through land allocation for future phases, emphasising that affordable housing remains a critical pillar of the Nigerian Army’s ongoing transformation agenda, in line with the vision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PHDL, Major General Isiah Alison, disclosed that the Ibadan project comprises 60 housing units, including 30 two-bedroom houses for Non-Commissioned Soldiers and 30 three-bedroom houses for Senior Non-Commissioned Soldiers.
Major General Alison revealed that five per cent of the houses were allocated free of charge to soldiers who sustained disabilities in the line of duty, while 70 per cent of the units were sold to soldiers at highly subsidised rates.
“Houses constructed at costs of up to ₦30 million were sold to soldiers for as low as ₦7.5 million. This is a deliberate welfare intervention, not a commercial venture,” he said.
He added that similar housing projects are ongoing in other locations across the country, alongside the development of service shopping complexes aimed at supporting small businesses and stimulating local economic activities for soldiers’ families.
PIAK