The Federal Government has unveiled plans to construct Renewed Hope Cities in each of Nigeria's six geo-political zones as part of efforts to expand access to affordable housing and bridge the country's housing deficit. In addition to these cities, the government is implementing an Estates Programme with housing currently under construction in twelve locations across the country, with two states per zone.
Minister's Inspection and Commitment
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, made this assertion during an inspection of the Lagos Renewed Hope City Project, reaffirming the government's commitment to providing decent and affordable housing for Nigerians. Darma stated that similar inspection visits would be undertaken at Renewed Hope City projects in Karsana, Abuja, and Lambu along Gwarzo Road in Kano. He pledged to deploy his experience toward ensuring the successful delivery of housing programmes.
Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the essence of these inspection visits is to personally assess the status of the projects, ascertain their levels of completion, identify challenges where they exist, and determine the steps required to ensure timely completion in line with objectives. The Minister said that following his assumption of office and comprehensive briefings from departments and agencies, they have immediately commenced inspection tours to project sites nationwide to assess the pace and quality of ongoing work.
Progress in Katsina, Yobe, and Lagos
According to Darma, they have already inspected projects in Katsina and Yobe States. He noted that the initiative is designed not only to increase access to affordable housing but also to stimulate economic growth through job creation and enhanced socio-economic opportunities. The Ministry aims to assess the progress of the Lagos project, which comprises a total of 2,084 housing units, ahead of its planned commissioning in October. He commended the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) funding and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
Darma described the PPP model as a strategic approach to accelerating housing delivery across the country. The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria has played its role in advancing affordable housing through funding of 1,500 housing units at the Renewed Hope City Project in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. The project is one of the flagship Renewed Hope City developments delivered under a PPP arrangement between the Federal Government and private sector developers.
FMBN's Role and Economic Impact
Darma noted that FMBN financing would continue to provide shelter for thousands of Nigerians, describing the intervention as a demonstration of the Bank's commitment to delivering on its mandate. With FMBN financing these 1,500 units, it means they have now housed about 6,000 Nigerians. He further noted that housing projects such as the Ibeju-Lekki development contribute significantly to economic growth through job creation and increased activity across the construction value chain.
During the inspection, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of FMBN, Shehu Usman Osidi, reaffirmed the Bank's commitment to delivering affordable housing solutions and ensuring that completed homes reach their intended beneficiaries. Osidi urged developers to adopt faster delivery timelines to enable beneficiaries to take possession of completed housing units without unnecessary delays. He emphasized the need for a phased completion approach, where completed units are delivered progressively instead of waiting for the entire project to be completed before allocation.
Quality and Affordability
Osidi applauded Legrande Properties for maintaining high standards in the delivery of the Ibeju-Lekki project, stressing that quality construction and timely delivery remain essential to providing lasting value to beneficiaries. The housing units are being delivered through a cross-subsidy model designed to enhance affordability for low- and middle-income Nigerians across different categories of beneficiaries to access decent housing under the project.
