Governor Hyacinth Alia acquires National Housing Programme estate to ease housing deficit and rising rent through rent-to-own and direct purchase options.
The Federal Government has officially handed over 116 housing units to the Benue State Government after the estate was acquired by Governor Hyacinth Alia for civil servants and other low-income earners.
The handover ceremony was conducted by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, represented by the Director of Public Building and Housing Development, Femi Temitope, who commended Governor Alia for his commitment to infrastructure and social development.
Temitope said the acquisition of the housing estate reflects the governor’s determination to improve the living standards of residents and tackle the state’s housing challenges.
Representing Governor Alia at the event, the Acting Head of Civil Service, Eunice Ogbenyi-Ihu, said the estate, originally built under the National Housing Programme, was purchased through the Benue Investment Property Company (BIPC) to provide affordable housing for civil servants.
She disclosed that the estate has been named after the late former Head of Service, Dr. Moses Agbogbo Odeh, in recognition of his service to the state.
Ogbenyi-Ihu added that the housing units would be allocated transparently, with beneficiaries able to access the homes through rent-to-own and direct purchase options.
Also speaking, the Group Managing Director of BIPC, Raymond Asemakaha, said the initiative is designed to bridge the housing gap for low-income earners while complementing the state’s ongoing Eco City Estate project, which features four-bedroom duplexes for higher-income buyers.
According to the Benue State Government, the scheme is expected to reduce the housing deficit, ease the burden of rising rents, and expand homeownership opportunities for workers across the state.