* Wellbeing of health care workers, a priority of Renewed Hope Agenda, Ɗangiwa says
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has planned to construct 10,000 housing units tagged “Renewed Hope Medic Cities” across the country in order to meet the housing needs of the nation’s medical workers.
The Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Salisu Badamasi Haiba, said in a press release that the project would be executed in collaboration with the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN).
He said the Minister of Housing, Architect Ahmed Ɗangiwa, disclosed the plan during his meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Thursday in Abuja.
The minister appreciated the commitment and sacrifices of the medical workers in saving lives even under challenging conditions, noting that their wellbeing, which includes access to decent and affordable housing, was a priority that aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the mandate at this ministry.
He said: “Housing is a fundamental need that directly impacts productivity, stability, and quality of life.
“We recognise the difficulties many healthcare workers face in securing suitable accommodation, particularly in high-demand urban centres where medical facilities are concentrated.
“Addressing these challenges requires strong partnerships between the government and professional bodies like yours.”
Restating the objective of the Renewed Hope Housing Programme to expanding access to affordable housing for all Nigerians, Ɗangiwa informed the delegation that 10,112 housing units were currently under construction in 14 locations across the country, which include 3,112 units of Renewed Hope Cities in Karsana, Abuja, 2,000 units in Lagos State, and 2,000 units in Kano State.
The minister also said that there were 12 ongoing Renewed Hope Estates of 250 units each in 12 states, adding that the ministry plans to extend to the remaining 18 states in the country.
“Your members can take advantage of these housing projects to own their homes,” he said.
On the ownership options to the housing units, the minister informed of an up to 30-year National Housing Funds (NHF) mortgage loans, a rent-to-own option, instalment payment, as well as an outright purchase option, adding that the online portal http://renewedhopehomes.fmhud.gov.ng was created by the ministry for ease of application for the homes.
Ɗangiwa further expressed the commitment of the ministry to support policies and programmes that uplift the living standards of Nigerians.
“Your visit today strengthens our resolve to design housing interventions that serve our national heroes – those who dedicate their lives to saving others,” he said.
Speaking earlier, the National President of NARD, Dr. Tope Osundara, thanked the minister for supporting and keying into President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by championing the Renewed Hope Housing project and making NARD a beneficiary.
Emphasising the importance of the resident doctors to the nation’s health care system, the NARD president appealed to the minister to assist the association to key into the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda, pointing out that it would play a significant role in forestalling the long-standing issue of Nigerian doctors leaving the country.
Osundara informed that the association is proposing a 1,000 housing unit under phase one for a start in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which would serve as a template and encourage other members of the association across the states to key in.
He also noted the importance of building housing units for the doctors in the hospital premises, considering that the resident doctors are ideally supposed to be resident within the hospital in order to enable timely attendance to emergencies.
Also speaking, the representative of REDAN and a member of the NARD, Dr. Suleiman Abubakar Sadiq, explained that the Renewed Hope Medic Cities project for the health workers would be a partnership between the Ministries of Housing and Health, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and a Public Private Partnership arrangement.
According to him, the housing construction, which is expected to commence across the country between January and February 2025, aims to build 10,000 housing Renewed Hope Medic Estates and Cities across the nation.
Sadiq expressed the hope that the project would be a significant step towards enhancing the welfare of healthcare workers and ensuring they have access to safe and affordable housing, thereby improving morale and productivity in the health sector.
