Nigeria’s housing sector is emerging as a major source of employment, with more than 1,900 workers engaged during the excavation phase of a housing project in Gwagwalada, Abuja.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, disclosed this during an inspection of the National Housing Programme (NHP) estate and the Renewed Hope Civil Service Estate in Dukpa, Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory.

Darma said the construction industry was making a significant contribution to Nigeria’s economic growth while providing employment opportunities for citizens.

According to the minister, more than 1,900 people were employed during the initial excavation phase of the project, which involves the construction of 110 blocks of two-bedroom flats.

He described the housing industry as an important sector for employment generation and said this was one of the reasons the Federal Government was promoting increased housing construction across the country.

“The housing industry is really a very, very important industry to employ Nigerians. And that’s why we are promoting the industry,” Darma said.

The minister explained that the number of people employed on the project was expected to increase as construction moved into additional stages.

He said further work would require more personnel for building activities, machinery operations, general labour and concrete mixing, among other construction activities.

“Now you can begin to talk about the building work, the machinery work, the labourers, the mixing and others in the construction process,” he said.

FG targets more housing delivery

Darma also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to delivering more housing units across Nigeria before the end of the year.

He said the ministry remained confident that it would exceed President Bola Tinubu’s target of delivering 100,000 housing units to Nigerians before the end of his first tenure.

“We will surpass what Mr President promised, that 100,000 units of housing will be delivered to Nigerians before the end of his first tenure,” the minister said.

“We are moved to do it and we are going to do it,” he added.

The minister said the housing programme was part of wider government efforts to increase access to affordable housing while also using construction activity to stimulate employment and economic activity.

250-unit civil service estate targeted for completion

Darma further disclosed that the 250-unit Renewed Hope Civil Service Estate in Dukpa, Gwagwalada, was expected to be completed within six months.

He said the ministry would closely monitor contractors working on the project to ensure that they comply with agreed timelines and deliver the development within the specified period.

“Yes, it’s still possible. That’s why I asked the engineer on site to give me the work plan for each contractor,” he said.

According to the minister, each contractor was expected to submit an individual work plan early the following week.

The work plans would enable the ministry to monitor the progress of the different components of the project and measure performance against agreed milestones.

Darma said the ministry would continue to monitor the development closely and take the necessary steps to ensure that the six-month completion target was achieved.

The housing minister’s inspection comes as the Federal Government continues to use housing construction as part of its broader efforts to expand housing supply, support economic activity and create employment opportunities through the construction value chain.

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Qatar Charity Invests $10m in Abuja Housing Development

Qatar Charity is expanding its operations in Nigeria with an enlarged field office in Abuja and an ongoing $10 million integrated housing development in Gaduwa, Federal Capital Territory.

The project combines residential accommodation with healthcare and education facilities, creating a development that brings housing and essential social infrastructure together.

The development was highlighted during a meeting between Nigeria’s Ambassador to Qatar, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and senior officials of Qatar Charity at the organisation’s headquarters in Doha. Discussions focused on expanding Qatar Charity’s long-term development interventions in Nigeria, with emphasis on projects aimed at addressing multiple community needs rather than providing short-term humanitarian assistance.

$10m Gaduwa Project Combines Housing With Social Infrastructure

At the centre of Qatar Charity’s expanded activities is the Gaduwa housing development, valued at $10 million.

The project will combine residential units with a health clinic and a school, creating an integrated community development model where housing is delivered alongside essential social infrastructure.

The approach reflects Qatar Charity’s broader social housing model, which places housing alongside basic services and community facilities. The organisation says its social housing interventions are focused on providing safe accommodation and basic services to vulnerable groups.

For the Abuja development, the combination of residential accommodation, healthcare and education is intended to address several household needs within the same community rather than treating housing as a standalone intervention.

Abuja Operations to Support Wider Development Activities

The expansion of Qatar Charity’s field operations in Abuja is expected to strengthen its ability to coordinate development programmes across Nigeria.

Discussions with the Nigerian Ambassador also covered diplomatic clearances and the inter-agency coordination required to support the organisation’s activities.

Yakubu said the Nigerian Embassy would support Qatar Charity’s operations and help facilitate coordination with relevant Nigerian authorities.

He also indicated that the integrated development model could potentially be extended to other parts of Nigeria, subject to coordination with government agencies and other stakeholders.

Housing Delivery Linked to Healthcare and Education

The Gaduwa project highlights an approach to housing development that treats residential accommodation as part of a wider community infrastructure system.

Access to housing can also be affected by the availability and proximity of schools, healthcare facilities, transportation and other essential services. Bringing such facilities within or around residential developments can reduce the need for residents to travel long distances to access basic services.

Qatar Charity has previously implemented similar integrated community development projects in Nigeria, with reported projects combining residential units with schools, medical facilities, commercial spaces and other community infrastructure.

The model therefore extends beyond constructing individual housing units to creating communities with supporting facilities.

International Partnerships Add to Housing Delivery

The Abuja development also highlights the role international humanitarian and development organisations can play in Nigeria’s housing sector.

Government remains a major participant in housing policy and infrastructure provision, while private developers, financial institutions, non-governmental organisations and international development organisations provide additional channels for housing delivery.

Such partnerships can be particularly relevant to vulnerable households and communities where conventional market-based housing may not adequately address affordability or access to essential services.

The project also adds a development dimension to Nigeria-Qatar relations, with cooperation extending beyond diplomatic engagement to areas including housing, healthcare, education and community welfare.

Implications for Abuja’s Housing Market

The $10 million investment adds to development activity in Abuja, where housing demand continues to be influenced by population growth, employment, public-sector activity and infrastructure expansion.

The project’s integrated structure also has implications for urban planning. Housing developments that include schools, healthcare facilities and other supporting infrastructure can help reduce pressure on surrounding communities and contribute to more self-contained residential areas.

For developers and policymakers, the project demonstrates the potential value of linking housing delivery with social infrastructure from the planning stage rather than providing residential units without corresponding community facilities.

However, the wider impact of the development will depend on its implementation, occupancy, long-term management and the extent to which the integrated model can be replicated in other locations.

Qatar Charity’s Wider Housing Approach

Qatar Charity describes social housing as an important part of its international development work, particularly for vulnerable households and communities lacking adequate housing and basic services.

Its interventions include the construction, maintenance and renovation of housing, as well as sanitation and sustainable energy infrastructure.

The organisation has also undertaken previous projects in Nigeria that combine housing with other community facilities.

In 2021, for instance, Qatar Charity began a housing estate project in Abuja’s Wassa District for widows and orphans. The project included plans for residential units, a school, vocational training centre, shops and recreational facilities.

The Gaduwa development therefore forms part of a broader pattern of integrated community projects rather than being an isolated housing intervention.

Outlook

Qatar Charity’s $10 million Gaduwa housing development provides another example of an integrated approach to housing delivery in Abuja, combining residential accommodation with healthcare and education infrastructure.

The expansion of the organisation’s Abuja operations could strengthen its capacity to undertake additional development programmes across Nigeria, while the Gaduwa project provides an example of how housing can be planned alongside essential community services.

For Nigeria’s housing sector, the development highlights the connection between housing investment, infrastructure and social services, particularly for projects targeting vulnerable communities.

The extent to which the Gaduwa model can be replicated in other locations will depend on factors including financing, land availability, government coordination and the capacity to maintain the supporting infrastructure over the long term.

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The Federal Government has opened a fresh verification exercise for genuine land allottees affected by the revocation of housing plots in Dukpa, Gwagwalada, Abuja.

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development will begin the exercise on September 7, 2026. It will run for three weeks.

The ministry said the exercise will help identify genuine allottees before the government relocates them to another site in Gwagwalada.

FG Sets Three-Week Verification Window

The ministry has asked all affected allottees to use the three-week period to prove their claims.

It warned that it will not extend the deadline. Any allottee or plot that misses the verification exercise will not qualify for relocation to the new site.

The ministry will conduct the exercise only on working days.

Badamasi Haiba, Director of Press and Public Relations at the ministry, urged affected members of the public to submit all required documents within the approved period.

Documents Allottees Must Provide

Applicants must present documents that support their land allocation and ownership claims.

The required documents include the original and photocopy of the Letter of Allocation. Applicants must also provide payment receipts and a valid means of identification.

They must submit a sworn affidavit that supports their ownership claim. They must also provide passport photographs.

The ministry will use these documents to assess the claims and identify genuine beneficiaries.

Where the Verification Will Take Place

The exercise will take place at two locations in Abuja.

One centre is the office of the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reform (PTCLR) in Garki 2.

The second location is the Department of Lands and Housing Development at the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development headquarters in Mabushi.

Affected allottees should attend the exercise during working days within the three-week period.

Why the Government Revoked the Land

The land has a history that dates back to 1992.

The then Federal Ministry of Works and Housing allocated residential and service plots in the Dukpa scheme for private development.

The Federal Government later revoked the allocations and other interests in the area. It cited the need to use the land for the National Housing Programme (NHP).

The government now plans to relocate genuine allottees to another site within Gwagwalada.

Government Cites Land Use Act

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development said the relocation process follows Section 28(2B) of the Land Use Act, Cap 202, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (as amended).

The ministry said it has secured an alternative site within Gwagwalada for eligible allottees.

The final verification will help the government confirm which claims qualify for the relocation.

Implications for Abuja Housing

The development highlights the role of proper land records in Abuja’s housing market.

Clear land records can help reduce disputes between property owners, developers and government agencies. They can also support better planning and faster housing development.

Gwagwalada remains part of the wider growth of the Federal Capital Territory. As development expands beyond Abuja’s central districts, land management will remain important for housing and infrastructure projects.

For affected allottees, the September 7 deadline is critical. They must present the required documents during the three-week window to have their claims considered.

The Federal Government’s next step will depend on the outcome of the verification. Only claims that meet the government’s requirements will form part of the planned relocation.

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Performing the inauguration in his office on Tuesday, Wike explained that the move was to ensure that each of the houses in mass housing and estates have separate C of O and it is paid for.

The Minister lamented that virtually all residential areas have been turned to commercial; adding that something would certainly be done about it.

According to him, those who contravened the Land Use Act must be rectified and pay penalties, stressing that those who have converted their approvals for residential buildings into commercial structures, and vice versa, would pay severely for it.

His words: “So, there must be a recertification and there must be penalties.”

“The only way people can be deterred from doing this is to make sure that we discourage them and discouraging them means that if you want to build, you have a penalty to pay, and that penalty must be severe,” he added.

“In as much as we want to generate revenue, we also want to control the development of areas,” Wike insisted.

READ ALSO: Issue certificate of occupancy to home owners within mass housing estates in fct , Reps direct Wike

“Abuja has to go back to the original Master Plan. If there is need to have some amendment, it is the government that will do such amendment, it is not for the allottees to do so on their own,” he stressed.

He said: “Part of the problem we are having is the agencies -Development Control is part of the problem; the Land Registry is part of the problem; Abuja Geographic Information Systems is part of the problem. That is why they are part of the Taskforce to face the problem they have caused and solve the problem. No outsider will do it.”

“So, you must be diligent. Of course, you know, I will monitor what you are doing, and this assignment will not last more than one month from today.”

The Minister directed the Taskforce to open two dedicated bank accounts for the assignment: one for non-compliance with the contravention of Land Use and the other for the Certificates of Occupancy.

He also asked the Taskforce to include people who were given land by the Area Councils but without C of O; adding that those concerned should be asked to apply and be informed about the amount to pay.

Wike explained that Abuja depends on Internally Generated Revenue to execute projects in the FCT.

“I am not interested in who did not comply and I don’t want anybody to write to me that the Taskforce came. All I need is results. I don’t want excuses,” he emphasized.

The Taskforce is chaired by Michael Chinda, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Lands, Urban and Regional Planning, while the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority, Engr. Shehu Ahmad is its Secretary.

Other members of the Taskforce include the Director, Department of Development Control, Director, Department of Land Administration and the Director, Department of Surveying and Mapping.

READ ALSO: Wike Orders Revocation of Houses Converted to Other Uses

Others are the Director, Department of Mass Housing, Director of AGIS, and Director, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, among others.

Responding on behalf of the members, Chinda expressed readiness of the Taskforce to get to work done within one month; promising not to disappoint the Minister.

He described the Certificates of Occupancy as an “indispensable requirement” for land ownership; adding that the land belongs to the government and the people using it must pay.

“We will not spare anyone that has contravened and we will do the needful.

“I can assure you that we will do this job with precision, diligence and a high level of professionalism so that we will meet your expectation and possibly exceed it,” he said.

Source: Abuja Digest

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