Civil servants in Abuja may soon have a new housing option as the Federal Government has commenced construction of 250 two-bedroom bungalows under its Renewed Hope Civil Service Estate scheme in Gwagwalada.
The project, launched on Wednesday, is part of the Federal Government’s wider housing programme aimed at providing affordable homes for workers and other Nigerians across the country.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, who spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony, said similar housing projects were being implemented across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the civil service estate was specially designed to address the housing needs of federal workers while helping to improve productivity and efficiency in the public service.
According to the minister, providing affordable homes for civil servants would reduce some of the pressures confronting workers and contribute to the government’s efforts to build a more efficient and corruption-free civil service.
Darma charged the contractors, consultants and supervising teams handling the project to ensure that the houses were built to approved standards and capable of standing the test of time.
He also assured Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu’s administration would move beyond promises by completing and handing over housing projects to beneficiaries.
The minister listed several housing developments expected to be delivered before May 2027.
They include 132 rent-to-own homes, 252 units in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, 300 units in Abuja, 2,800 units at Karsana, Abuja, another 1,500 units expected in September and 2,129 units scheduled for December.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, described the Gwagwalada project as a major step towards improving the welfare of federal workers.
Walson-Jack said the estate was more than a construction project, describing it as an investment in the future and wellbeing of civil servants and their families.
She stressed that owning a home could provide workers with security and peace of mind after years of service to the nation.
The Head of Service also called on state governments to explore similar housing initiatives and reminded federal workers that the government’s housing loan scheme remains available to eligible officers.
She disclosed that the Federal Government has an approved annual N10 billion housing loan scheme administered through the Federal Mortgage Bank and accessed by eligible civil servants through the Federal Government Staff Loans Board.
Walson-Jack, however, warned that the success of the programme would ultimately be measured by completed houses and the handing over of keys to beneficiaries, rather than groundbreaking ceremonies.
She revealed that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service had already provided 305 housing units under the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Programme, while more than 40,000 civil servants had benefited from housing loans through the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Shuaib Belgore, similarly warned against delays or poor execution.
Belgore said the commencement of construction must translate into actual delivery, urging those handling the project to maintain discipline, comply with approved specifications, ensure proper supervision and deliver quality work within schedule.
The Gwagwalada estate forms part of the Federal Government’s broader Renewed Hope Housing Programme, which is targeted at making affordable housing available to Nigerians across different income levels.
The programme covers Renewed Hope Cities, Renewed Hope Estates and Renewed Hope Social Housing Estates.
Under the Renewed Hope Estates component, 250-unit developments are planned for middle-income Nigerians, including civil servants, teachers, healthcare workers, traders and artisans.
For the federal workers targeted by the Gwagwalada project, the big test now is whether the 250 promised homes will be completed on schedule and whether eligible civil servants will soon be holding the keys to their new homes.
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