The 19th Africa International Housing Show (AIHS) officially opened on July 29, 2025, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, attracting top dignitaries, political leaders, professional bodies, and global stakeholders in what has become Africa’s most prestigious housing and construction gathering.
The event themed “Re-imagining Housing Through Innovation, Collaboration, and Policy,” marked the beginning of four days of global exhibitions and high-level conversations aimed at transforming Africa’s housing landscape.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, declared the event open and outlined the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Housing Agenda, which he described as a three-tier initiative designed to provide large-scale urban housing, mid-density estates, and deeply affordable social housing across the country.
“We are determined to change the narrative of housing in Nigeria. Through our Renewed Hope Cities, Estates and Social Housing programmes, we will deliver affordable homes and unlock access to long-term mortgages through the new MOFI Real Estate Investment Fund,” Dangiwa said.
Adding prestige to the occasion, the Special Guest of Honour and former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, who was represented by Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, described the Africa International Housing Show as “a wonderful showcase for innovation and partnership,” and called for housing to be prioritized as a pillar of economic growth, health, and education.
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State was represented by his Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, TPL Mohammed Inuwa, while Sokoto State Governor Dr. Aliyu Sokoto was represented by his Deputy, Mohammed Kabiru, who said that “the housing sector is a business where gold and diamonds are mined, if you want to get rich, join housing development, not politics. If you want peace of mind, join housing, not politics.”
Delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony of AIHS 2025, Mr. Fola Adeola, who was represented by Mohammed Garuba, co-founder of CardinalStone Partners Limited, highlighted Africa’s staggering 50 million housing deficit, noting that more than half of this shortfall is in Nigeria. He emphasized that solving Nigeria’s housing challenges requires viewing real estate as a viable investment option rather than merely a social responsibility. He warned that, given the global housing trends exacerbated by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, many young people aged 30 to 35 may be forced to rent homes for much longer than usual due to their inability to afford the high down payments required to purchase available houses, a situation worsened by prolonged periods of low housing production.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Chair of the AIHS Advisory Board, Surv. Suleiman Hassan Zarma who is also a former minister of environment, reaffirmed the show’s commitment to reimagining housing solutions and thanked participants for their support.
Surv. Suleiman described AIHS, co-hosted by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, as a vital platform for the built industry and stressed the urgency of collaboration, scalable solutions, and innovations such as 3D housing development while calling for legislative reforms, stronger partnerships, and relationship-building among stakeholders to address the housing crisis and unlock new opportunities.
Parliamentary delegations from Ghana, Kenya and South Africa joined the ceremony, underlining the pan-African stature of AIHS, while international agencies including UN-Habitat also attended. UN representatives reminded participants that 2.8 billion people globally lack access to safe and affordable housing, with Africa disproportionately affected. “The housing crisis is not just about shelter, it is about human rights, economic inclusion and climate resilience,” they stressed, urging African governments to rethink land use laws, housing finance structures and urban planning.
Honourable Vincent Oppong Asamoah, Chairman of Ghana’s Parliamentary Committee on Works and Housing commended the Coordinator of AIHS, Festus Adebayo for his consistency and described the show as key to driving investment into Africa’s housing and construction sector.
Also speaking was Former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, stressed the urgent need for Nigeria to tackle the root causes of unaffordable housing by strengthening local production of building materials. He added that the housing sector must be adequately funded to drive down construction costs and make homes accessible to more citizens.
Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, the Statistician-General of the National Bureau of Statistics, highlighted the economic potential of housing, revealing that real estate and construction now contribute 15.9 percent of Nigeria’s GDP, surpassing crude oil. “Housing is not just about shelter, it is an engine for jobs, industrial growth and urban productivity,” he said.
The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) Managing Director, Shehu Usman Osidi, announced new financing products including a Non-Interest Mortgage Loan, Diaspora NHF Mortgage Loan, Rent Assistance Product and Rent-to-Own Scheme, which he said would “bridge the affordability gap and cater to diverse income levels and ethical banking preferences.”
Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy & Tax Reforms Committee, spoke on tax reforms needed to unlock housing sector growth. “The housing sector is the new gold,” he said, announcing incentives such as VAT and stamp duty exemptions on rent, tax holidays for building material manufacturers and reduced withholding tax on construction.
He called for urgent land reforms, describing Nigeria’s land titling process as “a nightmare full of fraud, bureaucracy and delays,” and urged simplification and transparency to attract investment.
International experts from Egypt, Rwanda and Hong Kong shared best practices on public-private partnerships, affordable housing delivery and climate-resilient construction. Mrs. May Abdel Hamid of Egypt’s Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Fund explained how her country had delivered over 650,000 homes since 2014, resettling three million people.
“Housing for all requires government commitment, private sector participation, data-driven targeting and access to jobs and services,” she said.
As goodwill messages poured in, stakeholders agreed that Africa must invest in housing-specific data, institutional reforms and infrastructure to unlock affordable housing at scale.
“We cannot build sustainable cities without tackling land reform and improving access to finance,” one delegate noted.
Former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, through his representative, also urged participants to see housing as a catalyst for Africa’s future. “Our collective efforts have the power to create lasting change,” he said.
In attendance were the crème de la crème of the built industry, including the Chairman of the AIHS Board of Trustees, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, represented by an entourage led by High Chiefs; past and present ministers; parliamentarians, commissioners from various states; representatives of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Prof Ada Fung, Former Deputy Director of Housing, Hong Kong Housing Authority; Alassane Ba, Former Managing Director/CEO, Shelter Afrique; presidents of REDAN and other leading professional associations.
Their presence, alongside other industry leaders, underscored AIHS 2025 as a truly national and international gathering of housing and construction heavyweights.
The four-day event will feature exhibitions from over 400 leading brands, panel sessions on innovation, financing and sustainability, and opportunities for delegates to forge strategic partnerships.
The event was declared open with a call for unity of purpose: “AIHS is more than a conference, it is a movement that will shape the future of housing in Africa for generations to come.”
By Prince Folorunsho Adegoke
News Editor at Housing TV Africa.
