Nigerian Government has commenced the construction of 250 housing units for federal civil servants in Abuja, in a major welfare intervention aimed at improving access to decent and affordable accommodation for workers.
The groundbreaking of the Renewed Hope Civil Service Estate, comprising 250 units of two- and three-bedroom bungalows, was held in Abuja, in honour of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who is due to retire from service.
The project is a partnership between the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and is designed to provide eligible federal civil servants with greater opportunities for home ownership.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, said the project was more than a housing scheme, describing it as a recognition of Madame Walson-Jack’s contributions to the Nigerian Civil Service.
Darma said the project was intended to acknowledge a public servant who had devoted her career to strengthening and transforming the institution.
“The significance of today’s groundbreaking is not just another to embark on a housing project. It is a recognition of an important personality who came to the Civil Service, spent her youth in the Civil Service and made sure that she contributed to the institution, and not simply contributed to the institution, but transformed the institution for the better,” he said.
Darma said that providing affordable housing for civil servants would contribute to a more efficient and productive workforce, noting that access to shelter was an important component of workers’ welfare.
He charged contractors, consultants and supervising teams to ensure that the houses were built to specification and capable of standing the test of time.
The minister also assured Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development would move beyond policy announcements to actual project delivery.
He disclosed that the government had scheduled the delivery of several housing projects across the country, including 122 housing units before the end of August, 252 units in Lagos, 300 units in Abuja and thousands of additional units in subsequent months.
Darma said the government was determined to fulfil its housing commitments under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, also expressed satisfaction with the groundbreaking, describing it as an important step towards improving the welfare of federal civil servants.
He pledged the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that the project was delivered within the agreed timeframe, stressing that government housing interventions must translate into completed homes that beneficiaries can occupy.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Shuaib Mohammed Lamido Belgore, said the Renewed Hope Civil Service Estate was a welcome development that demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that those who serve the nation are not left behind.
Belgore described the 250-unit estate as a targeted intervention designed to respond to the housing needs of an important segment of Nigeria’s workforce.
According to him, civil servants provide the institutional framework through which government policies are developed, implemented and sustained, making their welfare crucial to effective governance.
He said access to decent housing could improve workers’ well-being and ultimately contribute to a more productive workforce.
The Permanent Secretary, however, stressed that the real responsibility following the groundbreaking was to ensure that the promise of the project translated into tangible results.
Belgore called for disciplined project administration, effective supervision, adherence to approved specifications and standards, quality workmanship and timely completion.
Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Shehu Usman Odidi, commended the Federal Government and the OHCSF for the initiative, describing the 250 bungalows as a significant intervention in the provision of decent, affordable and standard housing for civil servants.
Odidi also acknowledged the leadership of President Bola Tinubu in prioritising housing under the Renewed Hope Agenda and commended the Housing Ministry for its sustained efforts to address Nigeria’s housing deficit.
The FMBN Managing Director particularly highlighted the 10 billion naira housing loan facility established through a Memorandum of Agreement between the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board.
The facility is designed to provide housing loans to eligible federal civil servants through the board.
Odidi said the initiative demonstrated the commitment of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to translating government policies on workers’ welfare into practical interventions that directly improve the lives of civil servants.
The FMBN boss described the 250-unit project as more than a construction project, calling it a befitting tribute to Walson-Jack and a lasting testament to her tenure and contributions to the Civil Service.
In her remarks, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, described the groundbreaking as a significant milestone in the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare of civil servants.
Walson-Jack said housing was fundamentally about people, noting that home ownership provides civil servants with security, peace of mind and a lasting reward for years of dedicated service.
She said the welfare and well-being of civil servants remained central to the Federal Civil Service reform agenda, stressing that a worker who is supported to live well would be better positioned to serve the nation effectively.
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Walson-Jack urged state governments to replicate the initiative and develop similar housing interventions for their civil servants.
The Head of Service also disclosed that the OHCSF currently has 305 housing units provided to civil servants under the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Programme, while more than 40,000 beneficiaries have accessed housing loans through the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board.
She called for more partnerships between the OHCSF and relevant stakeholders to expand access to affordable housing for the thousands of federal civil servants still without homes.
While welcoming the project, Walson-Jack cautioned that the groundbreaking must quickly translate into completed houses, stressing that civil servants needed “completed houses and keys”, rather than architectural drawings and ceremonies.
She called for quality, affordability, transparency and timely delivery of the project.
The estate, according to officials, is expected to provide a dignified living environment for beneficiaries while strengthening the Federal Government’s broader workers’ welfare and housing agenda.
The groundbreaking also served as an occasion to celebrate Walson-Jack’s tenure as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, with speakers commending her commitment to institutional reform, workers’ welfare and the transformation of the Nigerian Civil Service.
As the construction gets underway, stakeholders are expected to ensure that the 250 housing units are delivered within six months, according to specification, and made accessible to eligible federal civil servants.
For the Federal Government, the project represents another step in its stated effort to move from “policy to projects” and from “talks to action” in addressing Nigeria’s housing deficit and improving the living conditions of its workforce.
