FG Hands Over Homes to Beneficiaries of Rent-to-Own Scheme in Abuja

By Our Correspondent

The Federal Government has handed over houses to beneficiaries of its Rent-to-Own Housing Scheme at Bungalow City along the Dei-Dei–Zuba Expressway in Abuja, reaffirming its commitment to providing affordable housing for Nigerians.

The symbolic handover of keys was performed on Tuesday by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, during the official commissioning ceremony of the housing estate.

The houses were developed by Brains & Hammers Limited with financing from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. The project is part of the Federal Government's Renewed Hope Housing Programme, designed to expand access to affordable homeownership across the country.

Speaking at the event, the Minister said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to making decent and affordable housing accessible to Nigerians.

Darma noted that increasing homeownership is a key priority of the government, stressing that the initiative would ease the burden of rising rental costs in major cities such as Abuja and Lagos, where many civil servants spend a significant portion of their income on accommodation.

"We are determined to meet the expectations of Nigerians in providing shelter for them. All beneficiaries of this Rent-to-Own Scheme will receive the keys to their homes before the end of the year," the Minister said.

He added that a substantial number of beneficiaries received their keys during the ceremony, describing it as another milestone in the government's efforts to improve citizens' welfare.

Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Shehu Usman Osidi, acknowledged that the delivery of the housing units faced initial setbacks after part of the estate was allocated to security agencies, affecting the planned allocation to approved subscribers.

According to him, the Bank quickly established a joint technical committee with Brains & Hammers Limited to address the allocation challenges. He credited the timely intervention of the Minister for ensuring that all profiled beneficiaries eventually received homes.

Osidi congratulated the new homeowners and reaffirmed the Bank's commitment to supporting President Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda by expanding affordable homeownership opportunities across Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Barrister Sanusi Seidu Dantsoho expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for giving many Nigerians the opportunity to become homeowners.

He commended the government's commitment to affordable housing and praised the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria for its critical role in financing the project.

Dantsoho assured the Minister and other stakeholders that beneficiaries would work together to maintain a peaceful and orderly residential community.

He also appealed to the Federal Government to sustain and expand similar housing programmes across the country to enable more Nigerians to fulfil their dream of owning a home.

The Rent-to-Own Scheme is one of the flagship housing initiatives under the Renewed Hope Housing Programme aimed at addressing Nigeria's housing deficit through strategic collaboration between the government and the private sector.