FG Commends NMDPRA Housing Scheme as 430 Workers Receive Home Allocations
The Federal Government has commended the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for supporting access to affordable housing for its workers through the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Muttaqha Darma, gave the commendation during the formal presentation of allocation letters to eligible NMDPRA staff under the housing programme.
Darma described the initiative as significant against the background of Nigeria’s housing deficit and the difficulties many Nigerians face in accessing decent homes.
He said the Federal Government remained committed to expanding access to affordable housing through partnerships with institutions and other stakeholders in the housing sector.
According to the minister, Nigeria requires more than 16 million housing units to address its housing deficit and provide accommodation for Nigerians without adequate housing.
“Providing housing to Nigerians remains a major responsibility. Providing houses to 110 million unhoused Nigerians is a task, a very big one,” Darma said.
The minister said the NMDPRA initiative should not be assessed solely by the number of homes being allocated to its workers.
“I consider the NMDPRA initiative beyond the number of houses being allocated.
“Forget about the mention of 450 housing units. No, I am not looking at it from that angle. I am looking at it from delivery of housing to Nigerians,” he said.
Darma stressed that every opportunity to deliver housing to Nigerians was important, regardless of the number of people who directly benefited from a particular project.
He also highlighted the rising cost of construction and building materials, which has made homeownership increasingly difficult for many Nigerians.
430 NMDPRA workers receive allocations
The Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Malam Rabiu Umar, said about 430 members of staff in Abuja, Kano and Lagos were receiving allocation letters under the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme.
Umar described the development as an example of how government policies and institutional partnerships could translate into tangible benefits for workers.
He said staff welfare was an important part of institutional performance, noting that workers who have greater peace of mind and confidence in their personal future are better positioned to contribute effectively to their organisations.
The NMDPRA chief executive commended the Authority Staff Cooperative Society, the Renewed Hope Access to Housing Committee and other partners involved in facilitating the initiative.
The partners include the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Family Homes Funds Limited, City Code Mortgage Bank Limited, Renewed Hope SPV, Key Shelter Limited and participating developers.
FMBN processes N8.3bn in mortgage applications
The Managing Director and Chief Executive of FMBN, Mr Shehu Osidi, said NMDPRA staff had subscribed to 430 housing units in Karsana, Abuja, and Janguza, Kano.
He disclosed that 197 National Housing Fund mortgage applications valued at approximately N8.3 billion were being packaged for submission to FMBN by City Code Mortgage Bank.
Osidi said the mortgage applications formed part of the financing structure designed to help eligible workers access homes through sustainable mortgage arrangements.
FMBN has also provided a N100 billion off-take guarantee for the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, beginning with the Karsana project, alongside N19.9 billion in direct funding.
The financing and guarantee arrangements are intended to give developers greater certainty, support construction financing and enable eligible workers to access completed housing through mortgage financing.
Osidi said FMBN would continue working with developers, primary mortgage banks, cooperative societies, employers and other financial-sector partners to increase the supply of affordable homes and strengthen access to mortgage finance.
He also disclosed that FMBN would soon introduce a Rent-to-Own product for eligible civil servants.
The bank has already launched a Diaspora Mortgage Loan and has signed a memorandum of understanding for a N10 billion housing loan scheme for Federal Civil Servants.
More than 1,000 NMDPRA staff applied
The President of the Authority Staff Cooperative Society, Mr Abdullahi Auta, said more than 1,000 NMDPRA workers had applied for the housing initiative.
However, about 430 staff had so far been accommodated under the current allocation exercise.
Auta appealed for continued support to enable additional workers who are still awaiting allocation to benefit from the scheme.
Details of housing units across Abuja, Kano and Lagos
The Chief Commercial Officer of Renewed Hope SPV Ltd., Dare Makinde, said the first phase of the project in Abuja consists of 365 housing units.
The Abuja development includes two-bedroom and three-bedroom flats, as well as three-bedroom terrace duplexes with boys’ quarters.
In Kano, the project includes 14 units comprising three-bedroom and four-bedroom bungalows, fully detached houses and three-bedroom terrace duplexes with boys’ quarters.
Lagos has 56 units comprising two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments with boys’ quarters.
Makinde said a second phase of the project would be delivered next year to accommodate some applicants who could not benefit from the first phase.
He added that additional housing projects were planned for Asaba, Enugu and Ibadan.
Makinde also called on other public and private organisations to support housing schemes for their workers, particularly as rising rents continue to make homeownership and decent accommodation more difficult for many employees.
Government expands housing support for workers
The NMDPRA housing initiative forms part of a wider push by the Federal Government to expand access to housing through institutional partnerships and mortgage financing.
The government has also been implementing other housing projects targeted at workers and civil servants.
In August, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria joined the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for the groundbreaking of a 250-unit Renewed Hope Civil Service Estate at Dukpa, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
The estate comprises two-bedroom and three-bedroom bungalows and is being developed to provide decent and affordable housing for federal civil servants.
The Federal Government also approved a N10 billion housing loan scheme for federal civil servants earlier in 2026, with the Federal Housing Loans Board and FMBN entering into an agreement to facilitate access to affordable housing loans.
For the NMDPRA programme, the combination of housing allocations, mortgage financing, cooperative participation and government-backed project support is intended to provide workers with a structured route to homeownership.
The first phase of allocations covers projects in Abuja, Kano and Lagos, while additional developments are planned for other cities.
The initiative is expected to provide further opportunities for NMDPRA workers who are yet to receive allocations as subsequent phases of the housing programme are delivered.
