Three civil society organisations on Tuesday hailed the administration of Governor Uba Sani for what they described as a far-reaching transformation of Kaduna State’s housing sector, listing 29 major milestones recorded within the governor’s three years in office.
The groups said the interventions have gone beyond the construction of houses to encompass the resettlement of vulnerable citizens, opening up new urban centres, land reforms, private-sector partnerships, institutional housing and job creation.
Speaking at a press conference at Arewa House, Kaduna, the organisations said the administration’s approach has given housing development a “human face” by combining social welfare with large-scale urban expansion and investment.
Among the interventions they highlighted was the delivery of 100 prefabricated homes for widows in Rigachikun, undertaken in partnership with Family Homes Funds and described by the groups as Nigeria’s first such initiative. They also cited the provision of new homes for 82 Tudun Biri families, with the project facilitated by the state government and constructed by the Federal Government.
The groups further pointed to the completion of the Qatar Sanabil Houses, delivered to victims of banditry and displacement, as another major social housing intervention. According to them, the initiatives demonstrate the administration’s deliberate focus on people whose circumstances make access to decent housing particularly difficult.
They said Governor Uba Sani’s housing policy specifically prioritises widows, internally displaced persons and low-income earners, while aligning Kaduna’s social housing drive with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Ward Development Plan.
The organisations also highlighted the administration’s response to people displaced by development projects. They said more than 80 victims of the Malali demolition were provided with new plots alongside full land titles, while residents affected by the Alhudahuda project in Zaria received compensation through zero-premium plots.
On urban development, the groups said the administration has opened up a 200-hectare Millennium City project in partnership with Urban Shelter, while also flagging off the massive 3,319-hectare Nuru Suraj Extension in Ungwar Dosa, expanding the state’s capacity to accommodate new residential communities.
They added that work is also progressing on the development of Kaima Smart City, which they described as part of Kaduna’s effort to expand its strategic urban frontiers towards the Federal Capital Territory. At the same time, the state has recorded the groundbreaking of the Federal Housing Authority’s Renewed Hope Estate in Rigachikun.
The groups said the new housing estates are not being treated as mere collections of buildings, stressing that the administration has prioritised basic infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity alongside housing development. They also cited the acceleration of land reforms and the reclamation and freeing up of land specifically for new housing projects.
According to the CSOs, one of the biggest components of the housing programme is the Development Lease Agreement (DLA) initiative, through which the government is seeking to unlock 25,000 housing units. They said the programme has already attracted 52 private developers, with more than 10,000 housing units completed towards the target.
They further cited the Urban Shelter Lease Agreement as another strategic public-private partnership being used to drive large-scale urban expansion, while Kaduna’s second-place national ranking in ease of doing business, according to the groups, has helped make the state more attractive to local and international housing investors.
The housing drive, they said, has also extended to federal institutions and strategic public agencies. The state has allocated land to support the expansion of the National Eye Centre, while Ahmadu Bello University has received land for staff housing projects across Sabon Gari and Chikun.
Similarly, the groups listed land allocations and support for mass housing projects by the Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
They said these interventions have contributed to a broader Federal-State mass housing collaboration, with Kaduna increasingly providing the land and institutional support required to expand federal housing initiatives across the state.
The CSOs also commended the restructuring and recapitalisation of the Kaduna State Development and Property Company (KSDPC), saying the move is intended to strengthen the company’s capacity to provide housing for low-, middle- and premium-income earners.
They said the establishment of the KSDPC Housing Exhibition as a permanent annual platform has created a meeting point for home buyers, developers and investors, helping to connect housing demand with available opportunities in the state.
The groups further noted that the administration has taken housing planning closer to the people through ward-level community town halls, allowing residents to contribute directly to discussions about projects and local housing needs.
They also applauded the administration for deepening direct collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Housing, saying the partnership has opened the way for greater federal participation in Kaduna’s housing development.
Beyond the houses and estates themselves, the organisations said the construction boom is also functioning as an engine of employment, generating thousands of direct and indirect jobs for young people in construction, engineering, building materials, transportation and other allied sectors.
The three groups—Kaduna Women for Tinubu-Uba Continuity (KW4T-UC), Uba Sani Back2Back Movement, and Kaduna Youth for Uba Sani (KY4US)—said the 29 milestones collectively demonstrate an approach to housing that combines compassion for vulnerable citizens with long-term urban planning and private investment.
They urged Kaduna residents to support the housing initiatives, arguing that the administration’s record shows that housing development can simultaneously provide shelter, open up new communities, attract investment, create employment and give vulnerable citizens a greater sense of dignity.
The groups concluded that Governor Uba Sani’s housing agenda is not simply about putting up buildings, but about creating communities, expanding opportunity and ensuring that development reaches people who need it most.
The CSO leaders include Hon. Deborah Bako, Founder, Kaduna Women for Tinubu-Uba Continuity (KW4T-UC); Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed, Director of Strategic Communications, Uba Sani Back2Back Movement; and Comrade Ahmad Yusuf, Coordinator, Kaduna Youth for Uba Sani (KY4US).
