FG Expands Housing Drive as 430 NMDPRA Staff Receive Homes

The Federal Government has renewed its drive to expand access to affordable housing, with about 430 staff members of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority receiving housing allocations under the Renewed Hope Housing Programme.

The allocation is part of a partnership involving the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, NMDPRA, Family Homes Funds Limited, CityCode Mortgage Bank, developers and the NMDPRA Staff Cooperative Society.

Allocation letters were presented to beneficiaries at the NMDPRA Auditorium in Abuja on September 23, 2026. The housing units are located across Abuja, Kano and Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, said the Federal Government was working to reduce the amount of income Nigerian workers spend on rent.

Darma said the government wanted to ensure that workers would no longer have to spend between 40 and 60 per cent of their incomes on accommodation.

He said the high cost of housing was putting significant financial pressure on Nigerian families and that reducing the amount spent on rent would allow households to use more of their income to meet other basic needs.

The minister said the Federal Government was working with relevant stakeholders and regulators to increase the supply of affordable housing across the country.

He also said the government was addressing the housing deficit, which he put at about 16 million housing units.

FG reviews abandoned housing projects

Darma disclosed that the ministry was conducting an assessment of abandoned housing projects across the country as part of efforts to increase the nation’s housing stock.

According to the minister, about 250,000 housing units within abandoned projects could potentially be recovered and made available to Nigerians, including civil servants.

He said the government was collecting information on abandoned projects in different states and engaging state governors on the possibility of taking over or acquiring some of the projects for allocation.

The minister also identified the high cost of land, building materials and infrastructure as some of the factors making homeownership difficult for many Nigerians.

He said the government was exploring different financing options, including the National Housing Fund and mortgage facilities, with particular attention to workers in the informal sector.

Darma further disclosed plans for a social housing programme targeting communities across the 774 local government areas, with the aim of expanding access to affordable homes for low- and middle-income Nigerians.

He said the housing strategy would require collaboration among federal institutions, state governments, mortgage institutions, developers and private investors.

The minister urged government agencies and other stakeholders to focus on delivering actual housing projects rather than limiting their efforts to discussions and policy announcements.

430 NMDPRA staff benefit from housing scheme

The NMDPRA Chief Executive, Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, said the housing initiative was part of efforts to improve the welfare of the authority’s workforce.

He said providing workers with greater housing security could contribute to their wellbeing and productivity.

Umar commended the Federal Government, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, FMBN and other partners involved in the programme.

The President of the NMDPRA Staff Cooperative Society, Abdullahi Danladi Auta, described the housing allocation as a significant milestone for the authority’s workforce.

He said about 430 NMDPRA staff would benefit from housing projects in Abuja, Kano and Lagos, at a time when rising land prices, construction costs and other housing expenses were making homeownership more difficult for workers.

365 units earmarked for Abuja

The Chief Commercial Officer of Renewed Hope SPV Limited, Dare Makinde, said the first phase of the project would provide different categories of homes to NMDPRA staff.

The housing types include two-bedroom and three-bedroom flats, as well as three-bedroom terrace houses with boys’ quarters and other categories of homes.

Makinde said 365 housing units were earmarked for Abuja, while additional units would be delivered in Kano and Lagos.

He also disclosed that the second phase of the project would commence in 2027.

FMBN provides mortgage support

The Managing Director and Chief Executive of FMBN, Shehu Usman Osidi, said the initiative demonstrated how government housing policy could translate into practical homeownership opportunities for Nigerian workers.

Osidi disclosed that NMDPRA employees had subscribed to 359 housing units in Karsana, Abuja, and 14 units at Janguza, Kano.

He also said 197 National Housing Fund mortgage applications valued at approximately N8.3 billion were being packaged for submission to FMBN.

CityCode Mortgage Bank is working with the beneficiaries on their mortgage applications, while FMBN will facilitate financing for eligible applicants.

Osidi explained that FMBN’s involvement in the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme goes beyond individual mortgages to include project financing and off-take support.

For the Karsana project, he said FMBN provided a N100 billion off-taker guarantee in addition to N19.9 billion in direct funding.

According to him, the financing support is designed to provide greater certainty for developers, support construction financing and help eligible Nigerian workers access completed homes through mortgage arrangements.

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 improve access to mortgage finance.

He also highlighted FMBN’s Diaspora Mortgage Loan and its forthcoming Rent Assistance Product as part of the bank’s efforts to respond to changing housing needs.

The FMBN chief urged beneficiaries to work with the cooperative society, CityCode Mortgage Bank, FMBN and developers to complete their mortgage documentation and other requirements.

Government targets wider housing access

The 430-unit NMDPRA initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s wider Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, which seeks to expand affordable housing supply and improve access to homeownership.

The programme also highlights the role of collaboration between government agencies, mortgage institutions, developers, employers and cooperative societies in financing and delivering housing.

For the NMDPRA beneficiaries, the current allocation provides access to housing in Abuja, Kano and Lagos, while the government continues to pursue broader measures aimed at increasing housing supply and improving access to affordable financing.