By Oyintutu Oyinkolade
The Federal Government, through Family Homes Funds Limited (FHFL), is implementing a national student housing programme to address accommodation shortages in tertiary institutions.
The programme is designed to deliver 38,400 bed spaces across 24 institutions comprising universities, polytechnics and colleges of education spread across the six geopolitical zones.
Abdul-Mutallab Mukhtar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FHFL, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
Mukhtar said two projects have been completed at Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden, and the College of Education, Warri, Delta State.
He said eight additional institutions are currently under construction, while further projects are expected to commence across the country before the end of 2026.
The initiative, according to him, targets a student population exceeding 2.1 million, with fewer than 15 per cent currently accommodated on campuses.
The FHFL boss lamented that inadequate accommodation forced students into expensive and poorly serviced off-campus housing, while long commuting distances affect academic activities.
“Nigeria’s public tertiary system carries a student population in excess of 2.1 million, yet fewer than 15 per cent of those students can be accommodated on campus.
“The remainder rely on off-campus housing that is frequently overpriced, poorly serviced and, in a growing number of university towns, genuinely unsafe.
“The consequences are not confined to student welfare: commuting distances erode study time, insecure accommodation drives dropout among female students in particular, and landlords in campus-adjacent communities operate in a market with no supply-side discipline,” he said.
Mukhtar said each of the project provides 1,600 bed spaces across 400 en-suite rooms equipped with study tables and chairs.
“Facilities also include reading rooms, common rooms, cafeteria and restaurant spaces, laundromats and grocery outlets to provide serviced residential environments.
“The projects are structured under a Public-Private Partnership involving FHFL, TETFund and the Student Housing Company,” he explained.
Mukhtar said each project would engage contractors, artisans, suppliers and haulage operators during construction, while creating permanent jobs after completion.
He added that the programme is expected to support employment in security, cleaning, catering, laundry and facilities management across the participating institutions.
NAN reports that the FHFL is a government-promoted social housing institution that finances and supports affordable housing development.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi