DEVELOPMENT
Abia EXCO Approves Statewide Housing Estates for Civil Servants, Residents as Gov. Otti Targets Affordable, Quality Homes Through PPP Model
The Abia State Executive Council has approved the construction of multiple housing estates across the state, a major policy move aimed at addressing housing needs for civil servants and other residents through a mix of government-led projects and Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
Following the approval, the Abia State Ministry of Housing is set to officially flag off the construction of the Civil Service Commission, Pocket-Layout Estate in Umuahia, as agreements have already been reached with private developers for the development of additional housing estates in strategic locations across the state.
The decision was made public on Monday by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, while briefing journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Chioma Otti.
According to Prince Kanu, the statewide housing initiative aligns squarely with Governor Otti’s broader vision of improving the welfare and living conditions of Abia citizens, particularly in the area of access to decent and affordable housing.
“In line with the Governor’s vision to provide for the welfare of Abia citizens in terms of housing, the State Ministry of Housing will soon flag off the construction of a Civil Service Commission, Pocket-Layout Estate in Umuahia. This will provide quality and affordable housing to Abians.
“Also, the Ministry is in serious discussions with private developers, under the Public Private Partnership model for the proposed estates at Mbaisii and Mgbarakuma-Ubakala Umuahia.
“The Ministry is on the verge of signing necessary agreements for the developers to move to site without delay,” Prince Kanu noted.
He explained that the housing estates would be developed across different parts of the state to ensure balanced development, while leveraging private sector expertise and government oversight to guarantee quality delivery.
Providing further insight into the project, the Commissioner for Housing, Architect Chiemela Uzoije, clarified the rationale behind the naming of the Civil Service Commission Pocket-Layout Estate, located at the former Civil Service Commission premises in Umuahia.
He stressed that despite the name, the estate is not exclusively for civil servants but is designed to serve the wider Abia population, with affordability as a central consideration.
“Some of them (estates) are going to be built by us. But the case of the civil service layout is what we call it because, it’s where the Civil Service Commission used to be.
“As a matter of fact, it’s not just for civil servants alone. It’s for the generality of abians. So civil servants are included.
“We’re about to kick start some of our major projects. As a matter of fact, we’ve already done that because last year, sometime before the end of last year, we signed off with one of the developers who is currently working at Obehie in Ukwa West.
“That is what we call a site and services scheme. In other words, he’s developing the estate for us in conjunction with the state government, and then at the end of the day, we’ll parcel out the plots and allow them for people to build.”
Architect Uzoije disclosed that the former Civil Service Commission premises would be transformed into a modern residential estate catering to medium-income earners and segments of the high-income population, featuring a mix of housing types.
“So that whole area (former Civil Service Commission premiss), we’re going to turn it into an estate for Abians and it’s going to be for medium income and a segment of the high income class.
“In that place, we’re going to have some blocks of flats. We’re going to have some semi-detached duplexes and standard duplexes. We want to bring a new narrative into the housing sector of the state, because you can agree with me that so far, we don’t really have very functional housing estates in Abia state,” he explained.
The Housing Commissioner further revealed that a combination of development models is being adopted to ensure sustainability, job creation, and timely delivery of the projects.
“The PPP model is going to come into place. Already it’s in place at Obehie, Ukwa West. We are going to use the same model from Mgbarakuma and part of Ubakala, because we also have the intention of getting a new estate around there.
“But then, the ones inside the town, because of the way they are going to impact on our people in terms of creating jobs, the multiplier effect on the society, we want to make sure that people’s income will be beefed up because so many people are going to be involved.
“So like the Civil Service Commission, the government is going to handle that one and then we are going to create a lot of jobs. But these other ones, the government is giving out the land.
“The government is also participating in the implementation of the housing estate. It’s not as if once we give out the land, then we go backwards.
“No. The government is going to be part and parcel of the day-to-day management of these estates in order to be sure that they are going to be delivered at the end of the day,” Architect Uzoije noted.
The housing initiative is expected to not only improve access to decent accommodation for Abians but also stimulate economic activities through job creation, urban renewal, and increased private sector participation, reinforcing Governor Otti’s agenda to redefine public housing an
d infrastructural development in Abia State.