ASABA: The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) and the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development have expressed concern over the slow progress and alleged quality problems affecting the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Affordable Housing Programme in Delta State.
The concerns followed an inspection of a 96-unit housing project in the Asaba-Uvwie-Ekpan axis by the FRC South-South Verification Team, which is assessing selected Federal Government projects across the region.
During the inspection, the team found that only four of the 96 housing units were nearing completion, while several other components of the project remained unfinished or had yet to commence, despite contracts reportedly being awarded in 2024.
The findings have raised questions about project delivery, construction standards and the effective use of public funds in a housing initiative intended to improve access to affordable homes.
The verification team’s leader and Head of the Strategic Communications Directorate of the FRC, Bede Ogueri Anyanwu, expressed dissatisfaction with the level of work recorded at the site.
He said the progress observed did not reflect the objectives of the Renewed Hope Affordable Housing Programme, which was established by the Federal Government to improve living conditions and expand access to affordable housing and essential services.
Anyanwu urged the contractors handling the project to return to the site, complete outstanding work and ensure compliance with approved specifications and quality standards.
He specifically called on M/s Goodnews Creative Ideas Limited and M/s First Class Capital Project Limited to resume work and address outstanding issues, particularly those relating to the roofing of the housing units.
Beyond the slow pace of construction, the verification team identified concerns about the quality and durability of some roofing installations.
According to the report, wind had damaged roofing sheets installed on sections of the buildings that had already been completed.
The development prompted questions about the materials used, the quality of workmanship and whether the roofing sheets had been properly installed to withstand prevailing weather conditions.
The FRC team stressed that contractors handling public projects must deliver work that meets the required technical specifications and durability standards.
The concerns are particularly significant for a housing programme designed to provide safe and affordable accommodation for Nigerians.
The verification team also sought explanations for delays affecting other aspects of the project, including electricity, roads, drainage and environmental assessment.
Among the contractors and consultants identified in connection with outstanding or uncommenced work were:
- M/s Gozcon Investment: Responsible for electricity works.
- M/s Blue Sea Investment Limited: Handling road and drainage infrastructure.
- M/s Goodnews Creative Ideas Limited: Also responsible for road and drainage works.
- M/s Ecosphere Consulting Limited: Engaged as consultant for the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment of the Renewed Hope Estate project in Delta State.
The team questioned why several components remained incomplete or had not commenced, given that the contracts were reportedly awarded in 2024.
The delays have raised concerns about coordination, planning and the ability of the project’s contractors and consultants to deliver the development within the approved timeframe.
The representative of the Controller of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in Delta State, Architect Uche Nwati, was invited to explain the limited progress recorded at the project site.
Nwati attributed some of the challenges to what he described as inadequate feasibility studies conducted before the contracts were awarded.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with the level of work completed, suggesting that more thorough planning before construction began could have helped prevent some of the difficulties encountered.
His comments highlighted concerns about project preparation and whether sufficient preliminary assessments had been conducted before implementation.
The commission reiterated the need for contractors executing Federal Government projects to meet approved deadlines and comply with agreed specifications and quality requirements.
It stressed that effective project monitoring was essential to ensuring value for money, particularly for public infrastructure programmes intended to address critical social needs.
The inspection forms part of the FRC’s ongoing physical verification of selected Federal Government projects across Nigeria’s South-South geopolitical zone.
The exercise is designed to assess project implementation, identify delays and deficiencies, and determine whether public projects are being delivered in line with approved standards, specifications and timelines.
Other members of the verification team included Anthonia Danjuma of the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate; Into-Sam Audu of the Investigation Unit; Cyri Longpam of the commission’s secretariat; and Quantity Surveyor George Nwarie, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors.
The findings have placed the Delta housing project under scrutiny, with attention now focused on the outstanding construction work, the quality of completed sections and the steps required to bring the development closer to its intended purpose.
For a programme intended to expand access to affordable housing, the slow progress reported at the site underscores the importance of effective planning, supervision and accountability in the delivery of publicly funded infrastructure.
