The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqa Darma, says the ministry will work to complete an abandoned 120-unit National Housing Programme project in Gwagwalada, Abuja, so that families can benefit from it by December 2026.
Darma made the commitment during an inspection visit to the site on Thursday. He was clear about the limits of the pledge: the ministry itself may not fund the completion, but it will look for ways to get the project finished.
The Assistant Director of Public Buildings and Housing Development at the ministry, Ene Agada, said work began in 2016. Delays in approval processes forced an early break from the site, and the COVID-19 pandemic and rising construction costs slowed progress further. The original contractors eventually told the ministry they could no longer continue, citing the economic situation.
The ministry terminated that contract in 2024 and re-awarded the project to new contractors, after scaling it down so the available funds could stretch far enough to complete it. According to Agada, the new contractors also could not return to site once building costs jumped following the removal of the fuel subsidy.
The Director of Public Buildings and Housing Development, Pemi Temitope, confirmed that the second set of contractors did some work but are no longer on site. He said they have applied for advance payments that have not been made, some have put their own money into the project, and several valuations and performance certificates remain unpaid.
Darma expressed concern about the state of some of the existing buildings, noting that certain structures may need to be reconstructed or reinforced before the units can be occupied.
He described it as unacceptable for a project that could house 120 families to sit idle for years, arguing that leaving it abandoned wastes taxpayers' money and that officials should look for creative ways to finish it.
The December 2026 target is a stated intention, not a funded plan, and the ministry has not said who will pay or how. Until the payment issues with contractors are resolved and the structures are assessed, applicants and observers should not treat the units as available. If you are following this project or a similar National Housing Programme scheme, ask the ministry for written confirmation of the completion timeline and allocation process before paying any fees to third parties claiming to offer units.