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BY PHILIP NWOSU
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has commissioned a 60-unit Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS) Housing Estate and a Post Service Housing Development Limited (PHDL) Shopping Complex at Akopo, Ibadan, Oyo State, as part of ongoing efforts to improve the welfare of Nigerian Army personnel.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Lieutenant General Shaibu described the project as a clear demonstration of the Nigerian Army’s Soldier First philosophy, stressing that access to decent and affordable housing is critical to troop morale, operational effectiveness and post-service stability.
He explained that the AHOOAS scheme was designed to ensure that soldiers retire in dignity, with secure home ownership in locations of their choice. The COAS recalled that the pilot phase of the initiative at Idu, Abuja, delivered more than 400 housing units, all of which are currently occupied by serving and retired soldiers and their families.
According to him, the success of the Abuja pilot informed the expansion of the scheme to Ibadan, Benin, Jos, Akwa Ibom and other locations across the country. He also disclosed that plans are underway to fast-track home ownership opportunities for Army Warrant Officers.
Lieutenant General Shaibu commended the Oyo State Government for its sustained support to military formations in the state and appreciated traditional institutions for their role in promoting peace and cooperation. He also lauded the management of PHDL for its professionalism in project delivery and acknowledged Family Homes Funds Limited for partnering with the Nigerian Army to construct 50 housing units for widows of fallen soldiers.
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The COAS urged other state governments to support the scheme through land allocation for future phases, noting that affordable housing remains a key pillar of the Nigerian Army’s transformation agenda in line with the vision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PHDL, Major General Isiah Alison, said the Ibadan project comprises 60 housing units, made up of 30 two-bedroom houses for Non-Commissioned Officers and 30 three-bedroom houses for Senior Non-Commissioned Officers.
He disclosed that five per cent of the houses were allocated free of charge to soldiers who sustained disabilities in the line of duty, while 70 per cent of the units were offered to soldiers at highly subsidised rates.
Major General Alison explained that houses constructed at costs of up to ₦30 million were sold to soldiers for as low as ₦7.5 million, describing the initiative as a deliberate welfare intervention rather than a commercial venture. He added that similar housing projects and service shopping complexes are ongoing in other locations to support small businesses and stimulate the local economic activities of soldiers’ families.
