Joint ventures between governments and private developers are helping to increase Nigeria’s housing supply. However, experts say many of these projects still fail to reach low- and middle-income Nigerians.

Under a typical joint venture, government provides land and sometimes infrastructure. The private developer provides funding, construction skills and project management.

The model can reduce the burden of land acquisition. Yet the commercial structure of many projects often pushes house prices beyond what ordinary workers can afford.

High costs push up house prices

Private developers need to recover their construction and financing costs. They also need to make a profit. Government may also expect financial returns from the public land contributed to the project.

These costs eventually affect the selling price of the homes.

Rising construction costs have made the situation more difficult. Cement, steel, fittings and other building materials now account for a large share of development costs.

High financing costs add another burden. Developers who cannot access cheaper funds often depend on commercial bank loans. They then pass part of the financing cost to buyers.

Mortgage access remains a major barrier

Access to mortgages also limits the reach of JV housing projects.

Many low-income Nigerians work in the informal sector. Some have irregular incomes and cannot meet the requirements of formal mortgage providers.

Even when they qualify for loans, high interest rates and short repayment periods can make monthly payments too expensive.

As a result, many homes described as affordable eventually attract middle- and high-income buyers, investors and Nigerians living abroad.

Government support needs to go beyond land

Toye Eniola, Executive Secretary of the Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN), said the growing reliance on JVs had weakened social housing delivery.

According to Eniola, private developers naturally focus on recovering their investments and making profits. That approach makes higher-income markets more attractive than low-income housing.

He also said government-backed projects often face delays because of disagreements between partners and difficulties in securing funds.

Eniola argued that government must support social housing through land, infrastructure and cheaper finance. He also raised concerns about delays in accessing funds through housing finance institutions and government-backed programmes.

Construction costs squeeze developers

Olajide Dosunmu, Managing Director of Noble Grounds Limited, described JVs as a useful model but said high construction costs remained a major challenge.

He noted that cement plays an important role in several stages of construction. Dosunmu said the price of cement had increased from about N9,500-N10,000 to an average of N13,000-N14,000 over the six months referenced.

The higher costs make it harder for low-income buyers to meet mortgage payments.

Dosunmu said developers often prefer middle- and higher-income areas because homes sell faster in those markets. This allows developers to recover their costs more quickly.

He also warned that efforts to reduce construction costs in low-income areas could create pressure to lower building standards. Such compromises, he said, could affect the structural quality of housing.

Infrastructure subsidies could reduce costs

Dosunmu urged governments to provide infrastructure in areas selected for JV housing projects.

Roads, drainage, water supply and other basic infrastructure can add significantly to development costs. Government investment in these areas could reduce the amount developers need to spend before selling the homes.

He argued that government could also benefit from increased economic activity and tax revenue as new communities develop.

JVs still help unlock land

Rogba Orimalade, former Chairman of the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), said JVs remained an important tool for property development.

He noted that developers can use partnerships to gain access to land and create more housing units.

However, Orimalade said high land and development costs continue to exclude low-income households from many JV projects.

He called for lower development charges, approval fees and consent costs. Reducing these expenses, he said, could encourage developers to increase housing supply.

Clearer rules needed for affordable housing

Experts say successful JVs require clear agreements between government and private partners.

Such agreements should define each party’s responsibilities, project timelines, funding arrangements, risks and profit-sharing terms. Clear rules can also reduce disputes that delay construction.

However, affordability must remain a central part of the arrangement. Government land and other public incentives should come with clear targets for the number and price of affordable homes.

Nigeria needs more housing, but supply alone will not solve the affordability problem. If JV projects continue to focus mainly on buyers who can pay market prices, low-income households will remain excluded.

A stronger approach would combine public land with infrastructure support, cheaper finance, lower development charges and workable mortgage arrangements. Such measures could help government-private partnerships serve not only the property market, but also Nigerians who need affordable homes most.

The post Why Government JVs Struggle to Deliver Affordable Housing in Nigeria appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

The Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN) has called on the Federal Government to establish a National Housing Delivery Framework and dedicated Housing Infrastructure Funds to accelerate affordable housing delivery and address Nigeria’s growing housing deficit. The association said a coordinated national strategy is essential for scaling up housing production and improving access to decent homes for low- and middle-income earners.

The call formed part of a communiqué issued at the end of AHCN’s two-day National Workshop on Affordable Housing Solutions for Low-Income Earners in Emerging Real Estate Markets and its 49th Annual General Meeting held in Calabar, Cross River State. Delegates noted that rising inflation, foreign exchange volatility, and increasing construction costs continue to widen the affordability gap across the housing sector.

AHCN urged governments, financial institutions, and development partners to create financing frameworks tailored to the needs of state housing corporations. The association also recommended greater adoption of locally manufactured building materials developed by the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), arguing that reducing dependence on imported materials would lower construction costs and improve housing affordability.

The association further advocated the use of industrialised construction technologies, including prefabricated housing, modular construction, and precast concrete systems, to speed up project delivery while reducing development costs. It also encouraged stronger collaboration among the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Family Homes Fund, MOFI Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF), and other stakeholders to mobilise long-term financing for affordable housing projects.

AHCN expressed concern that many state housing corporations have become ineffective due to years of inadequate funding and institutional neglect. It urged state governments to strengthen these agencies through policy reforms and avoid merging them with ministries, warning that such practices weaken their capacity to deliver mass housing.

The association also highlighted the growing number of completed but unoccupied housing units in major cities, noting that many homes remain unaffordable for the people they were built to serve. It stressed that improving access to land, infrastructure financing, and affordable mortgages would help bridge the gap between housing supply and demand while restoring public confidence in government-led housing initiatives

The post AHCN Calls for National Housing Delivery Framework, Dedicated Infrastructure Funds appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

The Cross River State Government has challenged housing corporations across Nigeria to move beyond constructing isolated estates and focus on developing scalable, replicable systems capable of bridging the nation’s widening housing deficit. Speaking on behalf of Governor Bassey Otu at a national housing workshop in Calabar, the Commissioner for Housing, Dr. Beatrice Igwe, emphasized that Nigeria’s shelter demand heavily outpaces current supply. This disparity persists primarily because conventional property development and financing models consistently exclude low-income earners from the formal property market.

To resolve these structural accessibility barriers, the state administration is piloting an innovative Public-Private-Community Partnership framework under its regional development agenda. As a practical step toward this goal, authorities announced the upcoming groundbreaking ceremony for a 500-unit housing estate in the Central Senatorial District on July 4, 2026. The state plans to expand this systematic model across its Northern and Southern senatorial zones to deliver 1,500 units statewide, while a specialized 50-unit social housing project targeted at indigent women has already reached an advanced stage of completion.

The state government urged real estate executives to standardize building designs, improve transparent operational collaborations, and actively engage institutional financiers to unlock long-term capital at scale. In tandem with sub-national efforts, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development reiterated its commitment to structural reforms aimed at positioning the construction sector as a driver of economic growth. Through the national Renewed Hope Housing Programme, the federal government is advancing property developments across all six geopolitical zones by prioritizing local building materials, overhauling land administration, and expanding mortgage accessibility.

Industry leadership underscored that modern construction technologies and alternative financing structures must be deployed to match the speed of Nigeria’s population growth. Sector experts concluded that sustainable homeownership will remain out of reach for ordinary citizens unless developers abandon fragmented building practices in favor of unified, macro-level structural systems.

The post Cross River Urges Developers to Build Systems Not Estates appeared first on Housing TV Africa.