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.

The post NMDPRA Staff Receive Housing Units in Abuja, Kano and Lagos appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

The Federal Government has commenced construction of a 250-unit housing estate in Gwagwalada, Abuja, as part of efforts to make homeownership more accessible to federal civil servants.

The estate, comprising two-bedroom bungalows, is being developed through 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.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, said the project was designed to improve workers’ welfare by providing them with affordable and secure homes.

Darma said the government considers housing an important part of civil service welfare, noting that access to decent accommodation can help workers maintain productivity and efficiency.

He explained that the Gwagwalada project was part of a broader housing programme being implemented across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Under the programme, 122 rent-to-own housing units are expected to be delivered before the end of August, while additional projects are scheduled for commissioning in September, October and December.

The planned developments include 252 housing units in Lagos, 300 units in Abuja and 2,800 units in Karsana, Abuja. Other locations will receive projects comprising 2,000 and 1,500 units, while another 2,129 units are scheduled for delivery in December.

The minister said the projects demonstrate the administration’s commitment to translating its housing policies into completed developments before the end of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tenure in May 2027.

He urged contractors, consultants and supervising teams to maintain construction standards and meet agreed delivery timelines, stressing that the government was entering a phase of “action, action and action.”

Civil Servants Need Homes, Not Drawings

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, described the Gwagwalada estate as an important step towards addressing the housing needs of federal workers.

Walson-Jack said homeownership would provide civil servants and their families with greater stability and peace of mind, describing the opportunity as a lasting reward for their years of service.

She, however, stressed that the success of the programme would depend on timely completion of the projects.

According to her, civil servants need completed houses and keys rather than drawings and groundbreaking ceremonies.

“We look forward to the commissioning of these homes and to witnessing their allocation to eligible and deserving civil servants,” she said.

305 Housing Units Already Provided

The OHCSF disclosed that 305 housing units had already been provided to civil servants through the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Programme.

More than 40,000 federal workers have also benefited from housing loans through the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board.

Walson-Jack encouraged eligible civil servants to take advantage of the government’s ₦10 billion annual housing loan scheme being implemented through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.

She also called for additional partnerships to expand housing opportunities for federal workers across the country.

The Head of Service urged state governments to consider adopting similar housing initiatives for their employees.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Atta, Permanent Secretary of the ministry Dr. Shuaib Mohammed Lamido-Belgore, senior government officials, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.

The post FG Expands Housing Programme to Boost Civil Servants’ Homeownership appeared first on Housing TV Africa.