The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Tuesday inaugurated the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq Morire Housing Estate in Ijagbo, Oyun Local Government Area of the state.

The housing estate includes 210 units of two-bedroom terrace apartments, 200 units of three-bedroom apartments and 24 units of four-bedroom terrace duplexes.

"Dear Kwarans, housing is not a luxury. Basic housing is a fundamental human need and a cornerstone of dignity, security, and family stability. Yet, across Nigeria and indeed in Kwara State, the challenge of addressing housing deficit is daunting," AbdulRazaq said at the groundbreaking of the housing estate.

"This administration believes that inadequacy of proper shelter for Nigerians is not merely a problem of not building enough houses. Indeed, several studies have attributed the housing deficit in Nigeria to a complex mix of causes, key amongst them being high cost and rising cost of building materials, weak finance, difficult land systems, infrastructure gaps, institutional limitations amongst others.

"On behalf of the people of Kwara, I thank the management of ISHI Homes Limited for this partnership and for choosing Kwara State as the location for this important development," the governor said.

Represented by the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Dr Segun Ogunsola, the governor applauded the developer for recognising his administration's contributions to mass housing development in the state.

"The administration has consistently placed housing development high on its agenda. The government recognises access to decent and affordable housing as essential to the wellbeing of the people.

"The state government has also been in active collaboration with institutional partners including the Federal Ministry of Housing with a view to increasing housing stock in the state.

"Recently, we acquired a housing estate with over 130 flats at Ogbondoroko in Asa LGA of the state. Government has approved that the estate be onboarded onto the administration's social support scheme," he said.

AbdulRazaq said the commitment was reflected in the development of the Kwara Smart City and other mass housing initiatives across the state.

The governor disclosed that his reforms in land administration have reduced the processing time for Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from 180 days to 35 days.

AbdulRazaq said the improved turnaround time demonstrated the administration's commitment to making land administration more transparent, efficient and investor-friendly.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of ISHI Homes, Dr Olayinka Ilufoye, had said the project aimed to democratise home ownership and make decent and affordable housing accessible to the people of Kwara South Senatorial District.

Ilufoye said the estate is meant for civil servants, traders and other Nigerians who can access it through the National Housing Fund (NHF).

"The name AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq Morire, which translates to ‘I have seen goodness', is a deliberate expression of our faith, hope and expectation."

The Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KWGIS), Alh Sulyman Abdulkareem, said the state government has consistently placed housing development high on its development agenda.

He commended the state government for ensuring access to land, facilitating the prompt issuance of titles and certificates of occupancy.

Abdulkareem pointed out that by providing timely approval for mortgage transactions, the governor is creating the conditions necessary for housing development to thrive in the state.