By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to delivering quality, affordable housing to personnel through the Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS).
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Post-Service Housing Development Limited (PHDL), Maj.-Gen. Isaiah Allison, made this known while addressing newsmen on Monday in Abuja.
Allison said said the initiative aligns with the COAS’s “Soldier First” philosophy, designed to ensure that troops were well-motivated during service and adequately catered for in retirement.
He added that the COAS’s philosophy prioritised soldiers’ welfare as a core component of combat readiness and national security, adding that functional housing was central to that vision.
“Our flagship programme, the Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOAS), is a major step towards addressing post-service housing for officers and soldiers.
“A soldier who knows he is retiring into a home is a soldier who can focus on his duties with peace of mind,” he said.
Allison disclosed that the army had already delivered 400 housing units under the AHOAS scheme in Idu, Abuja, with keys handed over to beneficiaries, including a designated percentage allocated free to wounded-in-action soldiers.
According to him, the scheme features two-bedroom flats priced at about N7.8 million and three-bedroom units at approximately N8.5 million.
“The cost is subsidized through a long-term mortgage arrangement allowing repayment over 15 to 25 years.
“This is part of a deliberate welfare strategy to ease the post-service transition for troops. Most soldiers enroll under the long-term mortgage plan, which allows deductions from their salaries over time,” he added.
Allison noted that more projects were underway across different states, adding that PHDL is working strictly under quality assurance protocols to prevent cases of substandard construction or building collapse.
“We are not just building houses; we are building confidence, stability, and security for our personnel and their families. Quality is not negotiable,” he stated.
The Acting Public Relations Officer of PHDL, Lt. Augustina Nkeonye, called on the media to support the army’s efforts through accurate reporting and engagement.
She said that the media was a key stakeholder in ensuring that the public was properly informed about what the army was doing for its men and women. (NAN)
