The housing market in the Federal Capital City, Abuja, is experiencing difficult times with a growing number of vacant housing units worth trillions of naira at many prime locations in the capital city. These houses have remained unoccupied despite the influx of people from various parts of the country into Abuja.

Thousands of workers in the city are acquiring houses at satellite towns, leaving the city and its mansion. Because of lack of planning and urban renewal by various agencies of government, slums have continued to develop almost on daily basis.

Most of the vacant luxury houses which are located at high brow areas including Maitama, Gwarinpa, Galadima and Apo attract rents and sales prices that are beyond the reach of ordinary residents of the capital city.
Bala Mohammed, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) assured of his administration’s readiness to regulate the high rent regime through legislation by the National Assembly, adding that “the FCT Administration intends to discourage the activities of land speculators to enable investors to get land allocation directly and by so doing, reduce the high house rent charged by landlords.

The minister stated that the activities of the speculators have multiplier effects on the lives of ordinary residents of the FCT because striving to pay for the exorbitant rent charged leads the common man to corruption.
The minister also revealed that, very soon, the FCT Administration would do ground breaking for two new additional districts in the Federal Capital City and they include Wuye and Jahi; thus, bringing the number of new districts being opened up and provided with infrastructure to five.

He also threatened to revoked undeveloped plots including American Hospital along Airport road and two major satellite towns namely Bwari and Karshi where infrastructure and services are already provided.
The Minister, who expressed concerns over the reluctance of the plot owners to develop them despite provision of infrastructure, vowed to give affected plots to people who have the capacity to develop them.

“I want to seize this opportunity to call on Nigerians that for those places like Bwari and Karshi where we have provided infrastructure, those who have land and hold titles, should come and build them within six months, otherwise we are going to revoke the plots and give them to those that will develop them.”

Mohammed however, remarked that before such revocation, the FCTA will issue enough notices to the affected persons and carry the people along by following it up with comprehensive publicity to avoid court cases.
According to him, the plot allocated to develop an American Hospital along Umaru Yar’Adua Way (Airport Road), if left unattended to, would also be revoked, pointing out that the FCTA has shown enough understanding.
He revealed that his Administration in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan will create Health Village where health facilities and services will be clustered to give Abuja a character