The Ogun State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to making homeownership more accessible to residents through flexible financing arrangements, strategic housing developments, urban regeneration and innovative housing delivery approaches designed to address the growing demand for affordable and sustainable homes across the state.
The State Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Jamiu Omoniyi, stated this during an X (formerly Twitter) community conversation titled, “Affordable Housing in Ogun State: Homes, Financing and Opportunities,” which attracted more than 2,500 participants.
Omoniyi said the administration of Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, was implementing its housing programme with a deliberate focus on addressing the major challenges preventing many residents from owning homes, particularly the high cost of construction and the difficulty prospective homeowners face in making outright payments.
According to him, the government is not only developing houses but also creating flexible and sustainable pathways that would enable genuine residents to become homeowners.
Speaking on the proposed Prince Court Estate, Kobape Phase IV, the Commissioner encouraged prospective homeowners to take advantage of the Rent-to-Own scheme being implemented in partnership with the Gateway Mortgage Bank.
He described the arrangement as a practical financing option for residents who may not have the financial capacity to purchase houses outrightly.
Omoniyi explained that the initiative formed part of the State Government’s broader strategy to make homeownership more inclusive and attainable, stressing that the responsibility of government goes beyond simply building houses.
“Government’s responsibility is not merely to provide houses but also to create conditions that make them accessible and sustainable for genuine beneficiaries,” he said.
The Commissioner highlighted the progress recorded in government housing schemes across Kobape Phases I, II and III, Kemta, Itanrin, Ikenne and Iperu, noting that the projects were deliberately developed to meet the housing needs of different categories of middle-income earners.
He added that the government’s housing intervention had also expanded beyond the development of new estates to include the regeneration and renewal of existing communities.
According to him, ongoing regeneration projects in Ibara GRA, Abeokuta, and GRA, Ijebu-Ode, are not only improving living conditions but also stimulating economic activities within the state’s built environment.
Omoniyi noted that the regeneration initiatives had created opportunities for local artisans and professionals, contributing to job creation and the growth of small-scale businesses connected to the construction sector.
One of the major innovations adopted by the Ministry of Housing, he said, was the direct-labour approach to housing delivery.
The Commissioner disclosed that the approach had created a multiplier effect by providing income opportunities for more than 5,000 artisans engaged at different housing project sites across the state.
He said the policy was helping the government to reduce construction costs while ensuring greater participation of indigenous professionals and artisans in the housing delivery value chain.
“The direct-labour approach gives artisans greater opportunities to participate in the housing delivery value chain, helps reduce construction costs, promotes effective monitoring and ensures greater patronage of local content providers within the built economy, thereby boosting the economic value of the State,” Omoniyi stated.
He maintained that housing remained an important social service of government, explaining that the State Government had continued to subsidise the cost of land and provide access to critical infrastructure within its estates in order to reduce the financial burden on beneficiaries.
The provision of infrastructure, including road networks and other essential facilities, he said, forms part of the government’s effort to ensure that housing estates are not merely collections of buildings but sustainable communities where residents can live and work comfortably.
On the issue of security of homeownership, the Commissioner disclosed that the State Government was taking concrete steps to address the backlog of title documentation, including for beneficiaries of estates delivered before 2019.
He said the move was aimed at strengthening the security of property ownership and giving subscribers greater confidence in the government’s housing schemes.
Omoniyi further assured beneficiaries that the Ministry of Housing’s responsibility extends beyond the allocation of houses and plots.
According to him, the ministry remains actively involved in monitoring developments, protecting genuine beneficiaries and tackling speculation within government-owned housing schemes.
He therefore urged prospective applicants to patronise the various housing opportunities being provided by the State Government, assuring them of the administration’s commitment to transparent, accessible and sustainable homeownership.
The Commissioner emphasised that the ultimate goal of the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration was to ensure that affordable housing interventions translate into secure and lasting homeownership for residents while simultaneously driving economic growth through activities within the state’s built environment.
“The ultimate objective of Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration is to ensure that Ogun affordable housing interventions translate into secure and sustainable homeownership for residents while simultaneously stimulating economic activities across the state’s built environment,” Omoniyi submitted.
With the combination of new housing developments, flexible financing options, community regeneration, title regularisation and increased participation of local artisans, the Ogun State Government appears set to deepen its affordable housing drive and widen opportunities for more residents to realise their dream of owning a home.
