The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Housing Authority, (FHA), Honourable Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo has said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is bringing new life to the agency through the “Renewed Hope” initiative, strategic partnerships and fresh urban development plans aimed at making housing more accessible to Nigerians.
“The Federal Housing Authority, as far back as 2014, was already commercialized. That’s the truth; it was as good as the FHA would have packed up. Now, we’ve come with new life. We are trying to build houses all over the country,” he stated.
Speaking on Nigeria’s housing deficit, Ojo, who was also a former member of the House of Representatives, said while estimates vary between 20 million and 28 million deficit, the Tinubu administration has focused on expanding housing delivery nationwide through the FHA.
“There’s this figure around 20 million or 28 million deficit, though we cannot pinpoint a particular figure. What has this administration done? Let me tell you one good thing we have done in this administration: we don’t sit in Abuja and plan things. When I assumed office, I moved around the states. Remember that land belongs to the state governors (including the FCT) by the provision of the 1977 Act of the Federation. What have these governors done? They’ve decided to give FHA land for free, and they pay taxes and compensation to landowners,” he said.
Speaking further on how the administration is addressing the housing challenge, Ojo said collaboration with state governments has significantly reduced project costs and improved affordability, while ongoing developments across Abuja show efforts to expand housing delivery nationwide despite the capital-intensive nature of the sector.
“When we finish building these houses, they will be affordable because the state government has already taken the bills. We are a government agency; we shouldn’t be focused on increasing rates. The Federal Ministry of Housing is also building Karsana in Abuja—that’s about 1,000 housing units due to be commissioned by Mr. President. The FHA has 480 housing units and Kano has about 1,000 units as well. What this government is trying to do is make sure these houses are available,” he explained.
Highlighting how Nigerians can access the Renewed Hope housing initiative, Hon. Ojo said applications are open through the FHA and Ministry of Housing’s online platforms and zonal offices, urging prospective beneficiaries to apply early as the programme operates on a structured contribution and delivery system.
“One thing I tell Nigerians is: apply early. Once you apply early, you go to either the FHA or the Ministry of Housing, Urban and Regional Development. We have websites; forms are available there. It is not when these houses are finished that Nigerians should start coming forward,” he urged.
On reducing housing costs, the FHA MD said the agency is securing cheaper land through state partnerships and engaging cement manufacturers to address material prices.
“The first thing is the land. That’s why we partnered with state governors for free land. Now, for materials: We have been talking to cement manufacturers like Dangote and BUA to reason with us on affordable prices,” he revealed.
He also stressed that awareness campaigns are being intensified nationwide to ensure wider public access to the Renewed Hope housing programme.
“We are going around the whole country and using media. We did groundbreaking in Uyo and Kaduna publicly. People in Owerri are already coming up to ask about the process. We want this to be open. People have lost hope in government over the years, but we are saying this is a different, responsive government,” he stressed.
On Festac’s redevelopment, Ojo blamed past administrations for long-standing issues and said the FHA is now carrying out major rehabilitation works with the Lagos State Government.
“Festac came into being in 1977. Do you know that 40% of the mortgages from 1977 have still not been paid? 12 billion Naira since 1977, and people are living in houses for free. It’s a failure of past administrations. Since 2003, FHA has not been funded by the government; we are self-funding. 40% of Phase 1 land has been illegally encroached upon by ‘Omonile.’ But we are moving. We have started Phase 2 of Festac Town.
“I have to credit Governor Sanwo-Olu; massive construction is going on for the 2nd and 7th Avenue roads. We’ve also started street lighting on 1st Avenue. We are moving as a government. There is heavy construction work ongoing in Festac,” he shared.
Outlining how house allocation is carried out transparently, Ojo said it is based on application, profiling and verification to ensure beneficiaries can meet mortgage obligations.
“You come to us, you pick a form. When you apply, we check your process. All we just want to know is that you have the access and capability to pay this mortgage. We profile you. When we profile you, we’ll be able to tell you that this is the kind of housing unit you’re entitled to—either a one-bedroom, a two-bedroom, or a three-bedroom,” he explained.
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