Concerns about the effectiveness of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Housing (RHH) scheme sparked a heated exchange among lawmakers during a budget defence session with the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development.
Legislators questioned whether the scheme was reaching ordinary Nigerians, the intended beneficiaries, during the session which focused on the ministry’s 2024 budget. Some lawmakers sought clarification on the difference between the RHH project and the National Housing Programme.
Presenting a budget that cited over ₦6 billion as internally generated revenue, Minister of State Abdullahi Gwarzo admitted his confusion, saying, “I’m yet to understand the difference between the two.”
Tensions escalated when Gwarzo disclosed that over 7,500 housing units were under construction, with 3,000 completed in various regions.
Senator Abdul Ningi expressed scepticism about the project’s impact and public awareness, leading to a defensive response from another lawmaker. The confrontation briefly disrupted the session before order was restored.
Following the exchange, the committee chairman excused Gwarzo, directing him to return on Tuesday to provide more detailed information on the housing initiative’s impact.
The minister also discussed the utilisation of the N100 billion 2023 supplementary budget, noting that it was used to pay outstanding contractor payments for projects such as the RHH Cities and estates, completion of the National Housing Programme, and infrastructure improvements across the country.