40% of Nigerian Army Personnel Lack Accommodation – COAS Oluyede
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has revealed that over 40 percent of Nigerian Army personnel are currently without adequate housing accommodation.
He made this statement on Thursday during the commissioning of the newly built Bola Ahmed Tinubu Barracks in Asokoro, Abuja.
Lt. Gen. Oluyede addressed the issue, saying, “Your Excellency, may recall that when I assumed office as Chief of Army Staff, one of the critical issues presented to you was the lack of accommodation for about 40 percent of Nigerian Army personnel. The project being commissioned today represents only phases one and two of the original plan.”
The new barracks, which are part of efforts to address this accommodation deficit, contain a total of 614 housing units. The accommodation plan includes various quarters, such as:
- 16 Major General Quarters
- 17 Brigadier General Quarters
- 3 blocks of 20-family Major to Colonel Quarters
- 30 blocks of 20-family Lieutenant to Captain Quarters
- 60 blocks of 30-family Senior Non-Commissioned Officers Quarters
- 6 blocks of 30-family Corporal and Below Quarters
- 40 blocks of 21 Corporal and Below Quarters
These provisions will accommodate 614 personnel, including 170 officers and 444 soldiers along with their families.
In addition to housing, the barracks are equipped with essential amenities, including three worship centers, sports facilities, and a powerhouse. The external infrastructure features a perimeter fence with 15 entrance gates, gatehouses, umbrellas, groundwater supply systems, access roads, and landscaping, all built to high standards.
However, despite these additions, Lt. Gen. Oluyede emphasized that the accommodation provided so far only addresses a fraction of the Nigerian Army’s overall housing needs, particularly in Abuja, describing the project as “just a drop in the ocean” compared to the scale of the accommodation deficit faced by the Army.
