Across Bauchi and Jigawa states, an estimated 5,000 government-built housing units stand empty, abandoned, and slowly deteriorating while thousands of families struggle with unaffordable rent and inadequate shelter.
Originally developed under various state and federal housing schemes, these estates were meant to provide affordable homes to low and middle-income earners, but years later, they remain largely unoccupied, turning into symbols of wasted investment and misplaced priorities.
In Bauchi, several ambitious projects were launched, including the Unity Housing Estate, the Family Homes Funds Affordable Housing Project, and the Renewed Hope Estate. The Unity Housing Estate, a partnership between the state government and a private developer, was meant to provide 1,000 low-cost homes for civil servants.
The Family Homes Funds project, launched in 2020, aimed to deliver 2,500 housing units for average Nigerians, offering flexible payment options. Despite these efforts, a significant number of houses remain empty, plagued by high costs that put them out of reach for the very people they were intended for.
Residents lament that land prices in key areas like Kano and Jos roads have skyrocketed, with a single plot costing between N19 million and N20 million. Many argue that the soaring cost of construction materials—cement, steel, and wood—has driven housing prices far beyond affordability. Experts believe that without a functional mortgage system to help spread payments over time, homeownership will remain a distant dream for many Nigerians.
The situation in Jigawa is no better. Hundreds of houses built under the Federal Integrated Housing Scheme (FISH) in Dutse have been left unoccupied for years. The estate, which includes 48 two-bedroom and 24 three-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, has been severely affected by neglect. Windstorms and vandals have stripped many homes of their roofs, while the once-promising estate now serves as a grazing ground for cattle and a water collection point for vendors. Civil servants, who were supposed to be the primary beneficiaries, have been deterred by the high cost of purchase and rigid repayment structures.
Meanwhile, in Gombe State, there has been a more positive outcome. More than 50% of government-constructed houses have been allocated to buyers, with over 100 homes sold under the Federal Ministry of Housing’s Renewed Hope Estate initiative. Yet, even in Gombe, the high cost of acquiring these homes remains a major challenge, with prices ranging from N9.2 million for a one-bedroom apartment to N16.4 million for a three-bedroom bungalow.
The ongoing housing crisis raises pressing concerns about urban planning, economic waste, and government accountability. While policymakers continue to roll out new housing projects, the fundamental issue remains unaddressed—how to make these homes truly affordable for Nigerians who need them the most. Without urgent intervention, these empty estates will continue to decay, serving as stark reminders of a system that has failed its people.
