FG to bridge housing deficit with local materials

The Federal Government has unveiled a new housing reform agenda anchored on land reform, urban renewal and priority of local materials aimed at closing the growing housing gap. The policy direction was announced on Monday in Ilorin by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa. He spoke at the 14th National […]

The Federal Government has unveiled a new housing reform agenda anchored on land reform, urban renewal and priority of local materials aimed at closing the growing housing gap.
The policy direction was announced on Monday in Ilorin by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa.
He spoke at the 14th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development meeting.
Nigeria’s housing deficit, estimated in the tens of millions, remains one of the country’s most pressing social and economic challenges, driven by rapid urbanisation, population growth and rising construction costs.
The new policy framework is expected to shape housing delivery, land administration and urban development planning across the federation in the coming years.
Speaking at the event, the minister represented by Alhaji Mukhtar Ilyasu, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, said the Federal Government has placed effective land management at the centre of its housing delivery strategy.
He described land administration as the foundation for expanding access to affordable housing nationwide.
According to him, urban renewal and regeneration have now been adopted as national policy tools for modernising Nigerian cities, addressing uncontrolled urban growth and responding to population pressure and climate challenges.
He said the government is also prioritising the large-scale adoption of locally sourced building materials and technologies as a cost reduction strategy aimed at making housing more affordable while strengthening domestic construction industries.
“Effective land management remains the foundation of housing delivery in Nigeria. Without fixing land administration, it will be difficult to close the country’s housing deficit.
“Urban renewal and regeneration have been adopted as national policy tools for rebuilding Nigerian cities, addressing uncontrolled urban growth and improving the quality of life of our citizens.
“The promotion of locally sourced building materials and technologies is now a policy priority to reduce construction costs, deepen local industry and improve housing affordability.”
“Federal and state governments are being aligned under a unified housing and urban development agenda to ensure coordinated implementation and results driven execution”, he said.
Dangiwa added that public private partnerships will serve as the main engine for mass housing and urban infrastructure delivery across the federation.
The government, he noted, will provide policy support, land governance reforms and investment frameworks to attract private capital into the sector.
To support the new direction, he said the Federal Government is strengthening national land governance frameworks to promote inclusive urban growth and remove long standing bottlenecks in land administration that have slowed housing development.
The minister said the new policy thrust further includes innovative housing finance and investment strategies designed to unlock long term funding for real estate development and bridge Nigeria’s widening housing gap.
He stressed that federal and state governments are being aligned under a unified housing and urban development agenda to ensure coordinated implementation and results driven execution.
In his address, Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development in Kwara State, Dr Segun Ogunshola said there are a lot of challenges affecting the achievement of provision of housing in the state and the country in general.
He said the state government is making an effort to find a lasting solution to the land and housing deficit in the state.
Dr. Ogunsola said the 20,000 Kwara smart city is laying the foundation for the next generation of mega city.