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Between 5,000 and 6,000 people earn directly and indirectly from ongoing housing projects across Akwa Ibom.
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Construction workers earn between ₦7,000 and ₦12,000 daily, depending on their trades.
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The government has earmarked about 150 hectares across six locations for housing development, with 1,048 units at various stages.
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438 of 500 ARISE Compassionate Homes are completed, while the first 100 of 250 affordable homes are targeted for December 2026.
October 06, (THEWILL) – Akwa Ibom State Government’s ongoing housing projects have generated direct and indirect employment for between 5,000 and 6,000 people, turning construction sites across the state into sources of daily income for artisans, labourers and small businesses.
The workers, according to the Commissioner for Housing, Rt. Hon. Dr Henry Okon Archibong, earn between ₦7,000 and ₦12,000 daily, depending on their trades, assignments and level of engagement.
Archibong disclosed on Tuesday, during a ministerial briefing in Uyo, that he outlined the progress of the housing programme under Governor Umo Eno’s administration.
He said the economic impact of the projects extended beyond the workers engaged directly in construction, as suppliers, transporters, food vendors, point-of-sale operators and other small businesses around project sites were also benefiting from the increased economic activities.
The commissioner described the housing programme as both a social intervention and an economic-development strategy, saying the administration was not only building houses but creating communities with infrastructure and opportunities for residents.
He disclosed that the government had earmarked approximately 150 hectares of land across six locations in different Local Government Areas for housing development, with 1,048 housing units currently at various stages of construction or delivery.
At Aviation Village, 100 housing units comprising 50 two-bedroom and 50 three-bedroom apartments are about 98 per cent completed.
The estate also has a model primary school, a 70,000-litre water facility and reticulation, 7.131 kilometres of roads, electricity, a police station and solar-powered CCTV security infrastructure, while a secondary school is planned for the second phase.
The Ibom Medical City residential project, being developed on about 11.8 hectares for medical professionals, comprises 50 three-bedroom bungalows and 50 four-bedroom terrace duplexes, alongside a model school and recreational facilities, and is about 70 per cent complete.
The Judiciary Quarters along Idongesit Nkanga Avenue is also about 70 per cent complete and comprises 50 four-bedroom duplexes, each with two boys’ quarters, as well as security infrastructure, a recreational centre and conference hall.
At Dakadda Luxury Estate, the government is constructing 64 five-bedroom duplexes under the Executive and Legislative Quarters project for members of the two arms of government.
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The project is currently about 40 per cent complete.
The ARISE City Social and Affordable Housing Scheme at Mbierebe Akpawat in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, which has one of the strongest social-housing components, is planned to deliver 250 two-bedroom bungalows, with the first 100 units targeted for completion and delivery in December 2026.
The administration has also completed and delivered 438 of the 500 ARISE Compassionate Homes, while 236 flats have been constructed at Grace Estate, with 150 allocated to civil servants.
Another 35 duplexes have been completed at Ewet Luxury Garden, while construction continues on 31 residences for Local Government chairmen.
Archibong said the projects were designed to cater for different categories of residents, including vulnerable citizens, professionals, civil servants, senior public officers and Nigerians in the Diaspora.
He also said the government was working to address deficiencies in existing housing infrastructure, noting that Governor Eno had constituted a committee to assess Ewet Housing Estate and recommend measures for improving its physical appearance and security.
The commissioner acknowledged that the housing deficit remained substantial and could not be addressed by government alone.
He said the Ministry was therefore strengthening collaboration with mortgage institutions, professional bodies, private developers and other stakeholders to expand access to housing finance and encourage private-sector participation in affordable housing delivery.
The employment dimension of the housing programme comes against the backdrop of the state government’s wider infrastructure and social-development agenda, which also includes investments in water supply, sanitation and hygiene.
The commissioner for Water Resources and Sanitation, Hon. Ubuo Effiong Ubuo, Ph.D., said the state’s infrastructure strategy was increasingly focused on ensuring that public investments translated into sustainable services and improved living conditions for communities.
According to Ubuo, the government’s WASH interventions, including completed solar-powered water projects and treatment facilities in several Local Government Areas, are intended to complement other development projects by ensuring that emerging communities have access to essential services.
The Ministry has completed water projects in communities across Ini, Etim Ekpo, Eket, Uruan, Nsit Ubium, Oron, Mkpat Enin, Ikot Abasi, Itu, Ukanafun, Eastern Obolo and Obot Akara Local Government Areas.
The Commissioner also disclosed that preparations had been completed for the rollout of the proposed 369 Ward Water Project, which will provide solar-powered water schemes across the state.
He said the initiative, alongside ongoing sanitation and hygiene programmes, was aimed at ensuring that infrastructure investments produced lasting benefits for communities.
For the thousands of people earning their livelihoods around the housing construction sites, however, the impact of the projects is already immediate — in daily wages, contracts, supplies, transportation and increased patronage for small businesses.
The housing programme, therefore, represents not only an intervention in the state’s accommodation deficit but also a significant source of economic activity for workers and businesses connected to the construction value chain.
