The Managing Director of the Federal Housing Authority, Oyetunde Ojo, has said that the authority will in 2026 consolidate on the foundations laid last year by embarking on full-blown construction of houses across the country.

Ojo, who said the authority under his watch last year began work on Renewed Hope housing units in some states and the Federal Capital Territory, said massive construction works would be undertaken in other states in the New Year in a bid to make many more Nigerians have access to affordable houses.

The FHA chief executive spoke at Warm Springs Resort, Ikogosi Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Saturday, during the opening of a three-day staff retreat with the theme ‘Consolidating on the gains of positive reforms’.

He said that the retreat was for the management and staff to plan and have a direction and focus along the line of delivery of FHA’s core mandate of delivery of affordable houses, adding, “The retreat is extremely key; it also aligns with the vision of Mr President about the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

The chief executive said that President Tinubu, while appointing him to head the authority, had charged him with the responsibility of working and providing affordable houses to Nigerians, saying, “He gave us a marching order to renew the hope of Nigerians by delivering affordable housing for all.”

Ojo, who claimed to have faced the task of repositioning the Authority to be able to meet set goals on assuming office in 2024 said, “Our job as FHA is about housing delivery. That is our core mandate. We used the first year to make sure we acquired enough land.

“Last year, we were also able to do a lot about staff welfare; the people that are going to work for you must be comfortable mentally, physically and in terms of their welfare with the salary package.

“This year is about the full construction and delivery of houses that we promised Nigerians. We started our groundbreaking last year; we started in two states – Akwa Ibom and Kaduna. We want to make sure that by the first quarter, we deliver Bwari. Bwari is about 400 housing units in Abuja.

“It is about 86 per cent completed, which will be inaugurated by Mr President upon completion. That will likely be the first major housing project this year. It is under zero funding, and we make sure we deliver.

“In this first quarter till May, we are doing the inauguration of Bwari (FCT), Odukpani (Cross River) and some other projects in states. Last year, we were able to do Ajoda in Ibadan. In Ekiti, the groundbreaking will be held in February, and construction will start immediately. Abia is waiting for us for groundbreaking and construction as well. We are releasing letters very shortly.

“Construction of houses is going to be round the federation. I can tell you before the end of the year, we should be able to do some more commissioning. It is construction-delivery, construction-delivery this year.”

Ojo urged Nigerians, whether in the formal or informal sectors, to contact FHA on the modus operandi to benefit from the affordable houses, clarifying that 70 per cent was allocated to the informal sector in the Bwari project.

FHA’s Executive Director of Finance and Accounts, Dr Mathias Byuan, said the authority would begin large-scale construction of affordable homes across the 36 states in February, adding that land for the projects had already been acquired and prepared nationwide.

Byuan said FHA was not on the national budget but generates its revenue through its existing structures, adding, “This year, we have planned to have a lot of public-private partnerships so that people will bring money to enable us to provide affordable houses in 36 states of the federation.

“I want to thank the state governors. We already have land in the 36 states of the federation; we have prepared the land, so from February, so much construction will be going on. Where we met abandoned works, we have completed them and are giving them out to people at affordable rates. We will start massive construction by February in line with President Tinubu’s mandate to us,” the executive director said.

Recall that the FHA chief executive, Ojo, said recently that work on 200 housing units in Ado Ekiti targeted at bridging the housing gap in Ekiti State would soon begin.

Ojo said that Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji had released 20 hectares of land alongside the Certificate of Occupancy for the project to FHA and hai the governor for attracting development projects and activities to Ekiti State.

He said, “The governor (Oyebanji), in his magnanimous nature, gave us 20 hectares of land towards Ekiti State University Road. We are building 200 units of two-bedroom bungalows there. We will start with 100 units. We have perfected all papers, thanks to Mr Governor, who gave us C of O free of charge.”