By Pius Awunah
The Federal Government has indicated interest to support the Abuja Cooperative City Project, a major housing initiative expected to provide 10,000 affordable homes for federal government workers and cooperative members under the Renewed Hope Affordable Housing Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
The project advanced at a Stakeholder Coordination Meeting held in Abuja recently and brought together cooperative executives, mortgage finance partners and senior housing officials.
It has been endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Housing/ Urban Development and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.
The Secretary General of the Abuja Cooperative Federation, Professor Emmanuel Iyaji, said that for years, many of their members have dreamt of owning a home in the capital but found it difficult.
“But Abuja Cooperative City changes that story.It is exciting to watch government agencies, cooperatives and private partners working side by side to give ordinary working people a chance to own a safe, comfortable home and a place they can truly call their own”,he said.
Located on 700 hectares in Jibi town, behind Mopol Barracks, Dei Dei, along Kubwa Expressway, Abuja Cooperative City will feature a range of homes from one-bedroom bungalows to five-bedroom detached houses.
According to him, plans also include energy-efficient designs, landscaped green areas, schools, markets, health centres and a clean-energy bus service.
In response, the Consultant to the Abuja Cooperative City Project,Mr. Emmanuel Entonu said, “This project is about more than bricks and mortar. We are building neighbourhoods where families can settle, grow and thrive. Seeing so many partners come together with a shared vision for affordable and well-planned homes gives me real confidence that we are creating something special for Abuja and for Nigeria.”
The Managing Director of Qietur Limited-the project’s private partner,Dr. Abiola Oyedotun noted that “this gathering confirms a shared commitment to create a city that reflects innovation and inclusiveness. Abuja Cooperative City will generate employment, stimulate local economies and set a new standard for collaboration between public and private sectors in housing delivery across Nigeria.”
Representatives of participating cooperatives; including the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS),Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Police Service Commission(PSC) and the Federal Judicial Service Commission(FJSC) expressed readiness to mobilise members to subscribe as soon as mortgage application forms were released.
Qietur Limited is a financial technology and data-driven company with a focus on affordable housing, agriculture, logistics, consumer goods and financial services.
Its work aims at driving inclusive social and economic growth across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
