The federal government has handed over 188 housing units built under the National Housing Programme to the Taraba state government.

The houses were formally transferred to the state in Jalingo on Thursday as part of efforts to improve access to affordable housing and reduce housing deficit in the country.

This was revealed Friday in a press statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Badamadsi Haiba.

The statement stated that the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaqa Rabe Darma, handed over the units to Governor Agbu Kefas at a ceremony held at the government house, Jalingo.

It also stated that the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, were also present.

“Housing is one of the most essential needs of any human being,” the minister said, noting that the federal government was constructing houses across the country.

He said the acquisition of completed housing units by state governments would speed up their allocation to Nigerians, including civil servants, security personnel and other residents.

According to him, Taraba’s decision to acquire the 188 units would enable the state to allocate the houses to beneficiaries without delay.

The housing units form part of the federal government’s Renewed Hope Housing Agenda, which seeks to increase the supply of affordable and decent homes across the country.

The programme, according to the minister, was also expected to create jobs in the construction sector and support the development of new communities.

Kefas thanked the federal government for the intervention, describing the handover as “a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to expanding access to affordable housing.”

He said the state government would adopt a transparent process in allocating the houses to beneficiaries.

The Ministry said it expected other states to adopt the acquisition model to enable completed housing units under the National Housing Programme to reach Nigerians faster.