By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerian Army on Thursday took another decisive step in translating its Soldier First philosophy into tangible benefits, as the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, 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.
The projects, unveiled amid military pageantry and community goodwill, are part of sustained efforts by the Army leadership to strengthen troop welfare, boost morale and guarantee post-service stability for personnel. The development, according to an official signed statement by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, underscores the Army’s growing emphasis on housing as a core element of operational effectiveness and dignity in retirement.
Speaking at the ceremony, Lieutenant General Shaibu described the housing estate as a practical and people-centred intervention that reflects the Nigerian Army’s commitment to the well-being of its soldiers beyond active service. He stressed that decent and affordable housing remains fundamental to morale, productivity and family stability, noting that the AHOOAS scheme was deliberately designed to ensure that soldiers retire in dignity, with secure homes in locations of their choice.
The Army Chief recalled that the pilot phase of the AHOOAS project at Idu, Abuja, delivered over 400 housing units, all of which are currently occupied by serving and retired soldiers and their families. Encouraged by the success of the pilot, he said the scheme was expanded to Ibadan, Benin, Jos, Akwa Ibom and other locations across the country, with plans already in motion to fast-track home ownership opportunities for Army Warrant Officers.
Lieutenant General Shaibu commended the Oyo State Government for its consistent support to military formations within the state and appreciated traditional institutions for fostering peace and harmonious civil-military relations. He also lauded the management of PHDL for its professionalism and delivery standards, while acknowledging Family Homes Funds Limited for partnering with the Nigerian Army to construct 50 housing units for widows of fallen heroes.
Calling on other state governments to key into the initiative, the COAS urged them to support future phases through land allocation, emphasising that affordable housing is a critical pillar of the Army’s ongoing transformation agenda. He noted that the programme aligns squarely with the vision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to build a motivated, professional and welfare-driven military.
Earlier in his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PHDL, Major General Isiah Alison, provided details of the Ibadan project, explaining that it comprises 60 housing units made up of 30 two-bedroom houses for Non-Commissioned Soldiers and 30 three-bedroom houses for Senior Non-Commissioned Soldiers. He disclosed that five per cent of the houses were allocated free of charge to soldiers who sustained disabilities in the line of duty, while 70 per cent of the units were reserved for personnel at highly subsidised rates.
Major General Alison revealed that houses constructed at costs of up to ₦30 million were sold to soldiers for as low as ₦7.5 million, describing the scheme as a deliberate welfare intervention rather than a commercial venture. He added that similar housing projects are ongoing in other parts of the country, alongside the construction of service shopping complexes aimed at supporting small businesses, improving the livelihoods of soldiers’ families and stimulating local economic activities within military communities.
With the commissioning in Ibadan, the Nigerian Army once again signalled that welfare is no longer an afterthought, but a strategic priority, one brick, one home and one soldier at a time.
