The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has commissioned a 60-unit Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS) Housing Estate at Akobo, Ibadan in Oyo state southwestern Nigeria.
According to the Army spokeswoman, Lt Col Appolonia Anele, the Army Chief also commissioned a Post Service Housing Development Limited (PHDL) Shopping Complex at the same location as part of ongoing efforts to improve the welfare of Nigerian Army personnel.
Speaking at the event, Lieutenant General Shaibu described the project as a clear expression of the Nigerian Army’s Soldier First philosophy, noting that access to decent and affordable housing is vital to morale, operational efficiency and post-service security.
He explained that the AHOOAS scheme is structured to enable soldiers to retire with dignity through secure home ownership in locations of their choice.
The COAS recalled that the pilot phase of the AHOOAS initiative in Idu, Abuja, delivered over 400 housing units, all currently occupied by soldiers and their families.
He said the success of that phase informed the expansion of the scheme to Ibadan, Benin, Jos, Akwa Ibom and other parts of the country, adding that arrangements are also underway to accelerate home ownership opportunities for Army Warrant Officers.
Lieutenant General Shaibu commended the Oyo State Government for its consistent support to military formations and appreciated traditional institutions for fostering peace and cooperation.
He also praised the management of PHDL for its professionalism in project execution and acknowledged Family Homes Funds Limited for partnering with the Nigerian Army to deliver 50 housing units for widows of fallen heroes.
The COAS urged other state governments to support the scheme through land allocation for future phases, stressing that affordable housing remains a key component of the Nigerian Army’s transformation agenda, in line with the vision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PHDL, Major General Isiah Alison, stated that the Ibadan project consists of 60 housing units—30 two-bedroom houses for non-commissioned soldiers and 30 three-bedroom houses for senior non-commissioned soldiers.
He disclosed that five per cent of the houses were allocated free of charge to soldiers who sustained disabilities in the line of duty, while 70 per cent were offered to soldiers at highly subsidised rates.
Major General Alison explained that houses built at costs of up to ₦30 million were sold to soldiers for as low as ₦7.5 million, emphasising that the initiative is a welfare intervention rather than a commercial venture.
He added that similar housing projects are ongoing in other locations, alongside service shopping complexes aimed at supporting small businesses and boosting the economic activities of soldiers’ families.
