By Firdaus Jibril
The Federal Government has commenced the construction of a 250-unit civil service housing estate in Dukpa, Gwagwalada, Abuja, as part of efforts to improve access to affordable housing for federal workers.
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, in partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, laid the foundation for the estate on Wednesday.
The estate will comprise 250 two- and three-bedroom bungalows, according to the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
Housing and Urban Development Minister, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, said the project was designed to provide affordable accommodation for civil servants while recognising their contribution to national development.
He said access to decent and affordable housing would improve the living conditions of workers and could also contribute to greater efficiency and productivity in the public service.
Darma described the project as part of the Federal Government’s wider commitment to improving workers’ welfare and delivering tangible housing projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He urged contractors, consultants and supervising teams handling the project to ensure that the houses meet required standards and remain durable.
The minister also said the Housing Ministry had lined up other housing projects for delivery between the end of August and December across Lagos, Abuja and other locations.
He said the projects were part of efforts to move from housing policies and commitments to completed developments that could be handed over to beneficiaries.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, described the project as a significant step towards improving the welfare and homeownership opportunities of federal civil servants.
She said the estate was being implemented through a public-private partnership between the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
According to Walson-Jack, the 250 units would complement 350 housing units already provided under the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Programme (FISH), bringing the total provision under the two initiatives to 600 units for federal civil servants.
She called for quality construction, affordability, transparency, accessibility and timely completion of the project.
The Head of Service also urged state governments to adopt similar housing initiatives for public servants across the country.
Permanent Secretary of the Housing Ministry, Shuaib Belgore, described the development as a targeted intervention to address the housing needs of federal civil servants.
He said the success of the project would depend on proper implementation and delivery of decent and affordable homes for workers who have contributed to national development.
The project forms part of the Federal Government’s wider Renewed Hope housing programme aimed at expanding access to affordable and decent housing across the country.