The Nigerian Government has handed over 188 housing units to Taraba State under the National Housing Programme, seeking to expand access to affordable housing and reduce the country’s housing deficit..
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Muttaqa Darma, formally handed over the houses to Taraba State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, at the Government House in Jalingo.
The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, and Permanent Secretary, Dr Shuaib Belgore, supported the handover.
The houses form part of the Nigerian Government’s Renewed Hope Housing Agenda, which aims to provide affordable and decent homes while expanding access to housing across Nigeria.
Darma described housing as “a basic human need and said the project demonstrated the government’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s housing gap.”
“Housing is one of the most essential needs of any human being. The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is building these houses across the country. They must be functional, and they must be occupied,” Darma said.
He said state governments could accelerate access by acquiring completed housing units and allocating them directly to citizens.
Darma said beneficiaries could include civil servants, security personnel and members of the general public.
He said; “Taraba State has taken this giant step under the National Housing Programme.
“By acquiring the units directly, the state can now allocate them quickly and ensure that working families benefit without delay.”
Transparent Housing Allocation
The 188 units were built under the National Housing Programme, a federal initiative implemented across Nigeria’s states.
The Renewed Hope Housing Agenda also seeks to stimulate employment through construction and support the development of sustainable communities.
Kefas thanked the Nigerian Government for the intervention and commended the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for driving the process.
“We appreciate the proactive leadership of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development,” the Governor said.
He described the handover as evidence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to affordable housing under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Kefas said the Taraba State Government would establish a transparent allocation process to ensure the houses reach people who need them most.
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development said it expects more states to adopt the acquisition model.
The approach is intended to move completed houses from government inventory to citizens more quickly.
The Renewed Hope Housing Agenda includes Renewed Hope Cities and Estates across all states of the federation, with emphasis on affordability, quality and access.
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development oversees housing policy, the National Housing Programme and implementation of the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda nationwide.
