COAS Commissions 60-Unit AHOOAS Housing Estate, Shopping Complex in Ibadan

COAS Commissions 60-Unit AHOOAS Housing Estate, Shopping Complex in Ibadan

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, Nigerian Army Medal, has commissioned a 60-unit Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS) Housing Estate and a Post Service Housing Development Limited (PHDL) Shopping Complex at Akobo, Ibadan, Oyo State, as part of sustained efforts to enhance the welfare and post-service security of Nigerian Army personnel.

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Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Lieutenant General Shaibu described the project as a practical expression of the Nigerian Army’s Soldier First philosophy, stressing that access to decent and affordable housing is vital to troop morale, operational effectiveness, and dignified retirement. He noted that the AHOOAS scheme is designed to ensure soldiers own homes in locations of their choice before retirement, thereby promoting stability for personnel and their families.

The COAS recalled that the pilot phase of the AHOOAS project in Idu, Abuja, successfully delivered over 400 housing units, all of which are currently occupied. He explained that the success of the pilot informed the expansion of the initiative to Ibadan, Benin, Jos, Akwa Ibom, and other parts of the country, adding that plans are underway to accelerate home ownership opportunities for Army Warrant Officers.

Lieutenant General Shaibu commended the Oyo State Government for its continued support to military formations and appreciated traditional institutions for fostering peace and cooperation. He also lauded the management of PHDL for its professionalism and acknowledged Family Homes Funds Limited for partnering with the Nigerian Army to construct 50 housing units for widows of fallen heroes.

He called on other state governments to support future phases of the scheme through land allocation, emphasizing that affordable housing remains a critical pillar 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, disclosed that the Ibadan estate comprises 60 housing units—30 two-bedroom houses for Non-Commissioned Soldiers and 30 three-bedroom houses for Senior Non-Commissioned Soldiers. He revealed that five percent of the houses were allocated free of charge to soldiers who sustained disabilities in the line of duty, while 70 percent of the units were offered to soldiers at highly subsidized 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, describing the initiative as a welfare-driven intervention rather than a commercial venture. He added that similar housing estates and service shopping complexes are ongoing across the country to support small businesses and stimulate economic activities among soldiers’ families.

COAS Commissions 60-Unit AHOOAS Housing Estate, Shopping Complex in Ibadan