2027 GENERAL ELECTIONS: WHY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES MUST MAKE HOUSING A MAJOR PILLAR OF THEIR MANIFESTOS
As campaigns gather momentum ahead of Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections on 16 January 2027, attention is turning to the housing policies of presidential candidates and political parties, particularly their commitments to affordable housing delivery, mortgage financing and access to decent accommodation.
Housing remains a critical national development issue, with implications for economic growth, employment generation, poverty reduction and the living conditions of millions of Nigerians.
A review of manifestos and campaign policy proposals from leading candidates reveals varying levels of attention to the housing sector. While some candidates have outlined specific housing delivery targets, others have focused on broader economic and infrastructure programmes without clearly defined housing commitments.
The development reinforces the importance of housing advocacy, including the efforts of the Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN), which has consistently called for stronger policies to improve access to affordable housing in Nigeria.
TINUBU’S APC MANIFESTO TARGETS 200,000 AFFORDABLE HOMES
President Bola Tinubu has included a housing programme in the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027–2031 manifesto, titled From Reform to Prosperity Agenda 2027–2031. The 109-page document was unveiled in Abuja on 10 November 2026.
The manifesto commits to building 200,000 affordable homes through the proposed Tinubu Mass Social Housing Scheme, using Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) mortgages, and partnerships with licensed private developers, with progress to be tracked on a public dashboard.
The proposals build on housing reforms already under way at the federal level. These include the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme, the MOFI Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF), the recapitalisation of the FMBN, and the Land4Growth initiative, which aims to deliver one million digital land titles in its first phase. The Federal Government has also proposed raising the maximum mortgage loan from N50 million to N85 million, with a target of 5,000 mortgages annually by 2028.
ATIKU’S ADC FRAMEWORK COVERS HOUSING WITHOUT A NATIONAL TARGET
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who is seeking the presidency on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is campaigning on a party manifesto unveiled in May 2026. The document is built around citizen-centred governance, economic reform and a production-driven economy, and spans sectors including infrastructure, industrialisation, health and social protection.
Housing is included within this wider agenda. The ADC’s housing proposals cover mass social housing, land and finance reform, local production of building materials and rental housing policy. On financing, they include mortgage reform, rent-to-own schemes, housing cooperatives and pension-backed financing.
However, the publicly available details reviewed do not set out a measurable national housing delivery target.
PETER OBI’S PRODUCTION-FIRST AGENDA
Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate, launched his campaign agenda in August 2026. It is built around moving Nigeria from a consumption-driven economy to a production-led one, anchored on agriculture, manufacturing, small businesses and improved electricity supply, alongside reforms in security, education and healthcare.
The publicly reported proposals reviewed have yet to set specific national housing delivery targets or detailed commitments on mortgage financing, social housing and affordable homeownership. This leaves open the question of how a production-driven economy would translate into access to decent and affordable accommodation for Nigerians.
MAKINDE’S RESET AGENDA PRIORITISES ECONOMY, SECURITY AND EDUCATION
Governor Seyi Makinde, presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), unveiled his Reset Nigeria manifesto on 4 November 2026. It is anchored on four pillars: resetting the economy, restructuring the security architecture, reforming education and resetting the socio-political system.
Housing is not identified as a distinct pillar, and the publicly reported details reviewed do not include measurable housing delivery targets, specific mortgage financing reforms or a dedicated national affordable housing programme. Makinde has said his reforms are meant to lower the cost of living and improve citizens’ welfare, but how this would translate into affordable homes remains unclear.
ADEBAYO’S SDP PROPOSES THREE MILLION AFFORDABLE HOMES
The Social Democratic Party (SDP), whose presidential candidate is Adewole Adebayo, has the most ambitious numerical housing target among the candidates reviewed. Its manifesto proposes a National Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Programme to construct at least three million affordable housing units within four years, through public investment, public-private partnerships and cooperative housing schemes.
The party also proposes housing models for different income groups, mortgage-finance reforms, employer-assisted housing, and land administration reforms including digital land registries and simplified property registration.
AGADA’S YPP PLAN BUILDS HOUSING INTO A WARD DEVELOPMENT MODEL
Architect Peter Agada, presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), has incorporated housing into a broader Ward Development Model designed to drive grassroots development across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards.
The proposed model is built around a 50-hectare development platform in each ward, integrating housing and construction with healthcare, agriculture, education, job creation, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) clusters, power, security and basic infrastructure.
Under the proposal, approximately 10 hectares would be reserved for housing and social services, including schools and healthcare facilities, with the blueprint providing for 200 two-bedroom housing units per ward.
If implemented across all 8,809 wards, the proposed housing component would translate to approximately 1.76 million two-bedroom units nationwide.
The programme is expected to be financed through a combination of federal and local government funding, private equity and loans. Agada’s blueprint also proposes a phased implementation approach, beginning with pilot projects in selected wards to test the model, assess costs and refine its implementation before a possible nationwide rollout.
OTHER PARTIES
Other parties have also tabled housing proposals. The African Action Congress (AAC) has proposed affordable units at an average cost of N2 million, with 20-year mortgages at an interest rate of no more than 10 per cent. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has proposed a National Social Housing Fund, slum upgrading and 20-year mortgages at 10 per cent, drawing on its 2023 policy agenda.
HOUSING AS A NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIORITY
The varying levels of attention given to housing in presidential manifestos raise important questions about how Nigeria’s next administration intends to address one of the country’s major development challenges.
Nigeria’s housing deficit is estimated at about 15 million units, highlighting the scale of the challenge. Beyond providing shelter, the housing sector has significant economic implications, with the potential to stimulate investment, create employment, support local industries and drive growth across construction, manufacturing, finance and related sectors.
Addressing the housing challenge requires more than general economic reforms. It demands clear policy direction, measurable housing delivery targets, sustainable financing arrangements and effective implementation strategies.
Presidential candidates therefore face important questions about how their proposed administrations would expand access to affordable mortgage financing, encourage private-sector participation, improve land administration, reduce building material costs and support social and mass housing development.
There are also questions about the future of housing institutions, including the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company and other housing finance mechanisms, particularly how their capacity can be strengthened to reach more Nigerians.
The role of state governments, developers, housing cooperatives and financial institutions in delivering affordable homes also deserves greater attention in national policy discussions.
As political parties present their visions for Nigeria’s future, the 2027 elections provide an opportunity for Nigerians to examine not only the housing promises contained in presidential manifestos but also the financing, implementation timelines and accountability mechanisms proposed to deliver them.
For a country where millions of households face difficulties accessing decent accommodation, housing should not be treated as a secondary infrastructure issue but as a major pillar of national development.
By Prince Folorunsho Adegoke, News Editor, Housing TV Africa
