The Federal Government has inaugurated a ministerial panel to oversee the development and allocation of the 753-unit housing estate in Abuja, recently recovered from the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, who is facing fraud charges.
The estate, located in Lokogoma District, Abuja, was handed over to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following a presidential directive as part of asset recovery efforts.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, who inaugurated the 12-member committee on Monday, said the assignment was critical to actualising the housing component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
‘The committee was constituted based on the vision of Mr. President and the housing reform drive of the ministry to ensure that the recovered property is quickly transformed into liveable, secure, and affordable homes for the benefit of Nigerians’, Dangiwa stated.
The committee, chaired by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Belgore, comprises senior directors across technical, engineering, procurement, financial, planning, and media departments.
Dangiwa urged members to eliminate bottlenecks and deliver results with transparency and professionalism.
‘Nigerians are watching and want to see results. They want to see homes completed and allocated transparently. They want to see government working for them’, he said, charging the team to ‘think outside the box’ and deliver within set timelines.
According to the Terms of Reference, the committee is expected to conduct a structural and integrity assessment of the housing units, determine the number and condition of the buildings, and evaluate the cost of completing key infrastructure such as internal roads, electricity, and water supply.
It will also establish a standard for consistent architectural finishing, propose a transparent and fair allocation strategy through the Renewed Hope Housing Portal, and develop a public engagement plan to build trust and confidence in the process.
Additionally, the committee must coordinate effectively with key stakeholders, including the EFCC, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, and relevant utility providers.
The committee is expected to submit a preliminary report within four weeks.
Also speaking through the statement, the Minister of State for Housing, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, stressed the importance of collaboration and the need for the committee to co-opt additional experts as required.
‘Given the scale of the task, the committee should co-opt professionals where necessary’, he said.
Belgore assured Nigerians that the team would carry out its duties with ‘diligence and professionalism’, noting that the initiative is part of efforts to turn recovered assets into beneficial public infrastructure.
‘The success of this project will set a model for converting recovered public assets into impactful infrastructure that directly benefits citizens’, he said.
