Bauchi State Nears Completion of 2,500-Unit Housing Project

Bauchi’s drive to close its housing gap is inching closer to reality. The state government, working with the Family Homes Fund, has already put up over 2,500 homes for junior civil servants—and they’re almost ready for keys to be handed over.

“We are trying to round up the houses,” says Mr. Yamai Mohammed, Director of Housing at the Ministry of Housing and Environment, during a chat with journalists on Tuesday. The developments—spread across Bauchi, Azare, Misau, Ningi, Dass and Jama’are—are now about 90 percent complete.

But the journey hasn’t been smooth. When work began in March 2020, a bag of cement cost ₦2,900; today it’s ₦10,500. “Some contractors say they can’t finish at the initial cost, so they stopped working,” Mohammed admits.

These homes, set aside for Grade Levels 01 to 08, promise an affordable route to homeownership. To stop brand-new buildings from falling prey to vandals, the ministry wants the state to take over finishing the project. “If you build a house and leave it without habitation, it’s going to deteriorate, and vandals are removing doors, windows and roofs,” he warns.

Meanwhile, other public-private ventures—such as Unity Housing Estate, the North East Development Commission’s scheme, and Renewed Hope Estate—are also under way.

Dauda Shuaibu, Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress in Bauchi, is eager for the homes to reach their rightful owners. “In a meeting with the contractor, we discussed and agreed on prices of the houses for those who have cash, and those who don’t will acquire it through mortgage,” he explains. “The civil servants should bestow their confidence on us; we will not let them down.” The NLC plans to review details at its next meeting and send its recommendations to the government.