FG to launch new 1,600-bed hostel at Akwa Ibom University

The Federal Government and Family Homes Funds Limited (FHFL) are about to open a new hostel with 1,600 bed spaces at Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden.

This hostel is the first university-level project under the National Student Housing Programme (NASHP).

Abdul-Mutallab Mukhtar, the managing director and CEO of FHFL, shared this news in a statement available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.

He mentioned that Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, Minister of Finance Taiwo Oyedele, and Minister of Education Tunji Alausa will attend the inauguration.

Mukhtar explained that NASHP is a Public-Private Partnership involving FHFL, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and the Student Housing Company (SHC).

Under this partnership, FHFL provides funds and manages the program, while TETFund handles the funding for tertiary education.

“SHC provides private money and long-term management for the facilities, which eases the burden on government and schools to fund housing projects,” he said.

Mukhtar added that the Akwa Ibom project is the second completed site in a program for 24 institutions. The first was a hostel at the College of Education, Warri, Delta State.

He noted that the national program aims to build 38,400 bed spaces across 12 universities, six polytechnics, and six colleges of education.

“Each hostel will have 1,600 bed spaces in 400 en suite rooms, with study tables, chairs, reading rooms, a common room, a cafeteria, and laundry facilities,” he said.

Mukhtar also mentioned that the program will generate jobs for local contractors, artisans, suppliers, and roles in facility management at the participating institutions.

FHFL is a government-supported agency that focuses on affordable housing development. It aims to help low and middle-income Nigerians, as well as vulnerable groups, own homes.