The House of Representatives of Nigeria has called on the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to establish a National Post-Service Housing Scheme for retired military personnel and widows of fallen officers across the country, including the Federal Capital Territory.
The House also urged the ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, to designate the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) as the lead agency responsible for implementing the scheme while utilising the technical capacity of existing service-based housing agencies.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved during plenary by Hussain Mohammed Jallo, who raised concerns over the housing challenges faced by retired members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and families of officers who died in active service.
While presenting the motion, Jallo stated that many military personnel retire after years of service without access to decent and affordable housing. He added that widows and dependants of fallen officers are often left without adequate shelter, which worsens their social and economic conditions.
According to him, providing post-service housing is an important aspect of military welfare and a practical way for the nation to appreciate the sacrifices made by members of the Armed Forces.
The lawmaker noted that several service-based housing agencies within the military and other security institutions have successfully developed housing projects across different parts of the country, showing that there is already institutional capacity to implement such schemes.
However, he expressed concern that the absence of a coordinated national framework for post-service housing for retired personnel and families of fallen officers weakens welfare structures, affects morale among serving officers and exposes beneficiaries to hardship.
Jallo warned that continued neglect of widows and dependants of fallen officers could undermine public confidence in the country’s commitment to recognising the sacrifices of its Armed Forces.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House mandated its Committees on Defence, Housing and Appropriations to engage with relevant stakeholders, including service housing agencies, to ensure adequate funding, proper implementation and sustainability of the proposed scheme.
The committees were directed to report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
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