Minister Commends Nigerian Army’s Housing Scheme Concept
By Charles Ogba, Abuja
The Nigerian Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa has commended the Nigerian Army concept for affordable housing provision for its soldiers.
Dangiwa made the commendation when he received Major General Joseph 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, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
The Minister applauded the Nigerian Army for keying into the Ministry’s housing mandate of providing affordable housing for all Nigerians irrespective of class and income, saying “housing is a fundamental need to any human being.”
“I am happy you are already ahead in providing that welfare to men of your service,” he stated.
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 unaffordable 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 and 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 said 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 these houses.
“These National Housing Units are the ones Mr. President directed us to provide to the fallen heroes,” he said.
He said the ministry is waiting for Defence Headquarters to provide the list of the fallen heroes to enable the it 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.
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.
He said that the Chief of Army Staff, on assumption of duty, initiated a scheme known as Affordable Home Ownership Option for all soldiers, targeting soldiers who are not within the officer cadre, because the past housing scheme only provided officers the opportunity to purchase houses.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
