As Nigeria marks its 65th Independence Anniversary, the Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN), a leading nongovernmental advocacy group and organisers of the Africa International Housing Show (AIHS), has extended hearty congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while using the moment to press for renewed vigor in the housing sector.
In a statement by Barrister Festus Adebayo, HDAN’s Executive Director, the organization praised those who laid the foundations of Nigeria’s housing sector and called on today’s leaders to rise to the challenge of completing the work.
“We salute the pioneers: the late Prof. Akin Mabogunje, Chief Engr. S. O. Fadahunsi, S.P.O. Fortune Ebie, and many more whose legacy formed the base of Nigeria’s housing industry,” Adebayo said. “Their efforts with government institutions like the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Housing Authority paved the way for progress.”
Adebayo emphasized that “their legacies will forever linger in our hearts as we continue to build on the foundations they laid.”
He used the occasion to call on the President to sustain reforms in the housing and urban development sector, reminding him of his manifesto commitments. According to Adebayo, challenges such as inflation, the high cost of building materials, land access barriers, and obsolete laws remain stumbling blocks to affordable housing delivery in Nigeria.
HDAN’s message comes at a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s housing sector, as the Tinubu administration has launched bold interventions under the Renewed Hope Housing Programme and other urban development reforms led by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa.
The Renewed Hope Housing Programme aims to deliver an ambitious 50,000 homes nationwide, combining Renewed Hope Cities, Estates, and Social Housing models to cover all income levels. To date, over 10,000 housing units are under construction across 14 states and the FCT.
Flagship projects include 3,112 units in Karsana, Abuja, 2,000 units in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, and 1,500 units in Kano, plus several 250-unit estates in states like Katsina, Gombe, Yobe, and Osun.
In Northern Nigeria, these efforts have created over 152,000 direct and indirect jobs, while more than 150 slums and rundown communities have been upgraded with roads, drainage, water supply, and solar lighting.
The ministry has also digitized key processes such as an electronic Certificate of Occupancy system to streamline title issuance and reduce bureaucracy.
In parallel, a National Artisan Skills Acquisition Programme (NASAP) was launched via an MoU with Polaris Capital to train and certify 100,000 artisans in construction trades, improve workforce capacity, and strengthen local supply chains.
Housing and Urban Development
These initiatives are part of a larger push to transform Nigeria’s housing sector into a driver of economic growth, job creation, and dignified housing access.
According to reports, Nigeria’s housing and finance institutions have also made significant strides under the leadership of the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, working to expand access to affordable housing and strengthen institutional capacity.
The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has doubled its impact in mortgage lending, approving ₦71.5 billion in 2024, compared to ₦39.7 billion in 2023. It also recorded its first operational surplus in three decades, with ₦11.58 billion in 2024, alongside recovering ₦10.9 billion in delinquent loans. The Bank introduced a ₦100 billion Offtaker Guarantee Scheme to support the Renewed Hope Cities & Estates programme, enabling developers to mobilize over ₦40 billion in private capital. It also increased collections under the National Housing Fund (NHF) to ₦103 billion.
The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) launched a comprehensive digitalization program to secure property files, eliminate fraud, and accelerate service delivery; a vigorous land acquisition and asset audit drive across multiple states, supported by drone technology, to boost the agency’s land bank and maximize Internally Generated Revenue (IGR); the completion of previously abandoned housing projects in places like Ibadan and the FCT.
On its part, the Family Homes Funds Limited (FHFL) has partnered with other agencies to deliver new affordable housing projects in states such as Delta, Kano, Kaduna, and Ogun.
The Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) has stepped up its role in providing liquidity to the housing finance market. It is driving adoption of the Model Mortgage and Foreclosure Law across states, while strengthening collaboration with FMBN, FHA, and FHFL on housing data and mortgage accessibility.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) has launched the Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF) of Two Hundred and Fifty Billion Naira (₦250 Billion) designed to make affordable housing accessible through streamlined processes and tailored mortgage solutions, and are also in partnership with FMBN, NMRC, and FHFL to deliver for Nigerians.
FHFL also continues to deliver affordable housing units nationwide, complementing the Renewed Hope Housing agenda.
While commending these initiatives, HDAN urged stakeholders in the housing sector to prioritize national interest above personal or political gain.
“This is not the time for politics about housing,” Adebayo noted. “It is the time to be serious-minded, to strengthen collaboration, and to get both the executive and legislature to do the right thing in the area of housing and urban development to realize the vision of accessible, safe, and dignified housing for all Nigerians.”
Adebayo called on the Federal Government, noting that with the current level of inflation and the rising cost of rent, it is time to demonstrate political will by creating incentives and subsidies for those at the lower end of the housing ladder. He warned that if urgent provisions are not made to intervene in this sector as has been successfully done in countries like Morocco, Nigeria may be sitting on a keg of gunpowder.
He also seized the opportunity to say NO to CORRUPTION in the housing sector, stressing that it continues to discourage progress in both government agencies and the private sector. Adebayo noted that HDAN remains committed to exposing corrupt practices from time to time in order to safeguard the sector.
He stressed that corruption and weak implementation of policies remain the biggest threats to progress, and that accountability must be enforced if Nigeria is to achieve the housing sector of its dreams.
Prince Folorunsho Adegoke
Housing TV Africa.
