Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaqa Rabe Darma, has stated that all abandoned Federal Government housing properties will be rehabilitated, upgraded, completed and put to productive use. This was contained in a statement signed by Badamasi S. Haiba, Fsca, mnipr, Director, Press and Public Relations.
Darma spoke during an inspection of the abandoned housing estate under the National Housing Programme (NHP) of the Ministry, located at Kubwa – Karsana district in FCT
Minister Darma expressed concern over the continued abandonment of government housing projects, stressing that public assets should be completed and made available to citizens rather than allowed to deteriorate.
“The Federal Government would take decisive steps to upgrade and complete viable abandoned housing projects across the country, with the objective of delivering more affordable and decent homes to Nigerians” he said
He explained that, as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to advance the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda, the Ministry was making efforts to identify, rehabilitate and put all abandoned government housing assets to productive use.
The inspection formed part of the Ministry’s broader strategy to increase the stock of available housing, reduce the country’s housing deficit and ensure that Federal Government properties are completed and made available to Nigerians under the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda
“We cannot continue to allow housing projects that were started with public funds to remain abandoned. These are assets belonging to Nigerians, and our responsibility is to ensure that they are completed, functional and occupied by the people who need them” the Minister said.
Accordingly, Darma explained that the Ministry was currently reviewing abandoned housing projects across the country to determine their status, level of completion and the interventions required to bring them back into use.
He said the exercise was consistent with the administration’s commitment to expanding access to affordable housing and accelerating the implementation of the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda.
According to him, the Federal Government’s approach would focus on completing viable projects, improving existing housing infrastructure and ensuring that completed houses are allocated transparently to deserving Nigerians.
“Our target is clear. Where projects are viable, we will upgrade them, complete them and ensure that Nigerians can benefit from them. We are determined to deliver more homes and reduce the housing deficit before the end of 2026,” he stated.
He further emphasized that the recovery and completion of abandoned housing projects would complement the construction of new housing developments under the Federal Government’s housing programmes.
He noted that maximizing existing investments would help the government deliver housing more efficiently while ensuring that public resources already committed to such projects are not wasted.
The inspection of the NHP Kubwa – Kasana property was part of the Ministry’s wider assessment of Federal Government housing assets and abandoned projects, with a view to developing appropriate strategies for their completion, rehabilitation and eventual allocation to Nigerians.
The Renewed Hope Housing Agenda remains a major component of the Federal Government’s efforts to increase housing supply, improve affordability and provide decent accommodation for Nigerians across the country.
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is responsible for housing policy, the National Housing Programme and the implementation of the Federal Government’s housing initiatives, including the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda nationwide.
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