Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has inaugurated the first phase of the Greater TAF Housing Estate, consisting of 1,000 housing units, marking a significant step in his administration’s plan to deliver 20,000 homes across the state.
At the commissioning ceremony, Governor Fubara described the project as a major milestone, noting that it was initiated at one of the most challenging periods of his administration. He said the housing scheme exemplifies his government’s commitment to inclusive and decentralised development, adding that it encountered more obstacles than any other project embarked upon so far.
According to the governor, more than 90 court cases were instituted in attempts to stall the project and frustrate the vision of providing affordable housing for Rivers residents. Despite these challenges, he said the administration remained resolute in seeing the project through to completion.
Governor Fubara explained that the estate aligns with the long-standing development philosophy of previous administrations in the state, particularly the policy of decentralising development to decongest Port Harcourt and stimulate growth in other areas. He stressed that the delivery of 1,000 housing units was a deliberate move to shift development away from the city centre to emerging corridors.
He urged landowners within and around the estate to begin developing their properties, noting that such efforts would support the expansion of Rivers State beyond its current one-city structure.
Describing the estate as only the beginning of a broader housing intervention, the governor called on residents to maintain peace, exercise restraint and act responsibly to attract and sustain development. He also said the project complements the housing vision of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which has allocated land in the same axis for the Renewed Hope 1,000 Housing Project.
Governor Fubara assured the people of Rivers State that his administration would remain focused and would not disappoint them.
Earlier, the Managing Director of Greater TAF Nigeria Limited, Mustapha Njie, said the 1,000 housing units are part of a proposed 20,000-unit development to be delivered through a partnership between the Rivers State Government and Greater TAF Nigeria Limited, targeted at low- and middle-income earners.
Njie added that the project has received continental recognition, winning an Africa-based award as the best affordable housing project on the continent.
