The Kano State Government says it has committed N996.29bn to 1,557 projects across the state’s 44 local government areas.

The spending covers almost three years of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration. It includes housing, roads, urban infrastructure and other development projects.

The Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Nura Maaji Sumaila, disclosed the figures on Sunday.

He spoke during an international press briefing on project delivery, procurement compliance and government spending.

867 Projects Completed

Sumaila said the state has completed 867 projects, which represents 55.68 per cent of the total.

Another 654 projects, or about 42 per cent, remain under construction. The state has also moved 26 projects to the award stage.

Ten additional projects have reached the planning stage and are ready for award.

The figures show the size of Kano’s current public investment programme. They also highlight the state’s focus on infrastructure and development across both urban and rural communities.

Kano Tracks Project Payments

The commissioner said projects worth N695.20bn had received Certificates of No Objection.

The ministry had also vetted payment certificates worth N444.75bn.

The approved certificates represent 69.78 per cent of the total contract value. Vetted payments account for 44.64 per cent.

Sumaila said the ministry would continue to monitor projects. The goal is to ensure that public spending delivers value to residents.

Rural Areas Receive N287.90bn

Kano has spread its project investments across metropolitan and rural areas.

According to the commissioner, the eight metropolitan local government areas have 598 projects worth N299.36bn.

The state’s 36 rural LGAs account for 653 projects valued at N287.90bn.

Rural development therefore forms a major part of the state’s investment plan. The projects cover infrastructure and other developments across communities outside the metropolitan areas.

The state also has 37 cross-cutting projects worth N159.50bn. These projects cover more than one local government area.

Another 269 statewide and other projects account for N249.54bn.

Housing Projects Take Centre Stage

Housing represents one of the largest components of the investment programme.

The commissioner listed the N113.19bn mass housing project at Rijiyar Gwangwan in Dawakin Kudu among the major projects.

He also identified the N22bn Rural Model City housing project. The project covers all 36 rural local government areas.

Other major investments include the N24.77bn Katsina Road expansion. The project covers parts of Fagge and Dala.

The state is also implementing N21.90bn in Modern Cities infrastructure across Dawakin Kudu, Dawakin Tofa and Kumbotso.

Another major project is the N27.74bn Madobi-Yako-Kafin Maiyaki/Kiru Road project.

Infrastructure Supports Housing Growth

The scale of Kano’s spending has implications for the housing and construction sectors.

Housing developments need roads, transport links, electricity and other basic infrastructure. Better connections can also improve access to new residential communities.

The Rural Model City and mass housing projects show the link between housing development and wider infrastructure planning.

Road projects can also support the growth of communities around new housing developments. They can improve movement between residential areas, commercial centres and other parts of the state.

Focus on Project Monitoring

Sumaila said the government must assess projects based on their size and reach.

Some major projects serve several communities and local government areas. Counting them as separate projects in each LGA could therefore create inaccurate figures.

The commissioner said the state’s monitoring system aims to provide a clearer picture of project delivery and public spending.

Kano’s N996.29bn project programme places housing, roads and infrastructure at the centre of its development plans. The completion of these projects will remain important to the state’s efforts to expand urban infrastructure and improve development across its metropolitan and rural communities.

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A real estate development expert, Dr Meckson Innocent Okoro, has called on the Federal Government and state governments to adopt direct land allocation as a deliberate policy tool to reduce the cost of mass housing delivery across Nigeria.

Okoro said affordable housing would remain unattainable for many Nigerians unless governments take greater responsibility for land provision and supporting infrastructure, particularly for large-scale housing estates located outside urban centres.

He identified land, finance and infrastructure as the three most critical components of housing delivery, stressing that the absence of any of these elements significantly increases the final cost of housing units.

According to him, when governments directly allocate land for housing projects and provide basic infrastructure such as access roads, electricity, water supply and mass transit systems, developers are able to deliver homes at significantly lower prices.

“Easy and affordable transportation will encourage people to buy and live in these estates, especially when they are far from city centres. Government involvement in infrastructure development will drastically reduce the selling price per housing unit,” he said.

Commends Renewed Hope Estates initiative

Okoro made the remarks while commending the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for initiating the Renewed Hope Estates and Cities Programme, describing it as a major step towards closing Nigeria’s housing gap.

He noted that the initiative marks one of the closest attempts Nigeria has made toward structured mass housing delivery comparable to global best practices.

The former Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) also praised the administration for aligning housing delivery with long-term mortgage financing, including a 20-year tenure, single-digit interest rates, and a 10 per cent equity contribution by subscribers.

“This is a commendable intervention aimed at giving ordinary Nigerians access to homeownership,” he said.

However, Okoro cautioned that the success of the programme would depend on its continuity beyond the lifespan of the current administration.

He urged the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to institutionalise the strategy, gather data from ongoing projects and refine future housing policies based on feedback from beneficiaries.

Infrastructure, solar power critical

Speaking further on mass housing development, Okoro warned that leaving developers to independently provide roads, electricity and water often leads to inflated housing costs.

He advocated for government-led infrastructure provision and encouraged the incorporation of solar energy solutions in all federal housing estates to reduce long-term energy costs.

“I also suggest that solar panels should be integrated into every federal housing estate so subscribers do not resort to generators, which increase cost and environmental impact,” he said.

Concerns over mortgage access

On funding, Okoro expressed concern about the ease of accessing mortgage facilities under the Renewed Hope Estates programme, particularly through the MOFI Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF).

While applauding the availability of mortgage funding, he warned that delays and bureaucratic bottlenecks by disbursement banks could undermine the initiative.

“My concern is how accessible these mortgage funds are to subscribers. Government must ensure that appointed banks do not create unnecessary delays in fund disbursement,” he said.

He called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to carry out regular supervision of mortgage disbursement banks to ensure strict compliance with established guidelines.

Drawing lessons from the failed mortgage reforms of the early 1990s, Okoro warned that weak regulation could derail even well-intentioned housing policies.

“No matter how noble the intention, mortgage schemes only succeed when there are strong checks and enforcement mechanisms,” he said.

Clean land titles, anti-speculation measures urged

Okoro further stressed that all Renewed Hope Estate sites must have clean and verifiable land titles, noting that banks would be reluctant to finance properties with disputed ownership.

He also called for strict safeguards to prevent speculative purchases by government officials and politically connected individuals.

“In the past, mass housing schemes meant for ordinary Nigerians ended up in the hands of a few privileged individuals who later resold them at higher prices,” he said.

According to him, effective checks and balances are required to ensure that the houses reach the intended beneficiaries.

Economic benefits for states

The real estate expert argued that sustained mass housing delivery would generate long-term revenue for state governments through ground rents and land use charges.

“If the government succeeds in delivering millions of houses over time, states will benefit from consistent property-related revenues. Without housing development, these income streams are lost,” he added.

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Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Mr. Sagir Musa, made this known after the State Executive Council meeting held in Dutse. He said the project is in line with Governor Umar Namadi’s commitment to inclusive development and improved urban planning.

The housing units are part of Phase II of the state’s Mass Housing Estate initiative. The plan includes a mix of three-bedroom detached and two-bedroom semi-detached units, all enclosed with perimeter fencing for security and privacy.

The project will cover Babura, Birnin Kudu, Dutse, Gumel, Hadejia, Kafin Hausa, Kazaure, Maigatari, and Ringim.

According to the commissioner, the initiative will not only improve housing access but also create jobs and stimulate the local economy through construction activities and demand for materials.

Nigeria currently faces a housing deficit of around 28 million units. The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Musa Dangiwa, recently noted that more than 75% of the country’s 42 million homes are substandard, with a large portion of the population living in informal settlements.

To tackle this, the Federal Government launched the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme in 2024. The initiative aims to deliver 100,000 homes nationwide, with flexible ownership options such as single-digit mortgage loans, rent-to-own models, and full purchase plans.

In April 2025, the government also announced an additional 77,400 housing units. Of these, 80% will be allocated to low-income earners who can pay gradually using one-third of their monthly income.

Despite these efforts, the Housing Minister has called for a minimum annual allocation of ₦500 billion to the sector. He said meeting the goal of 550,000 new homes each year over the next decade would require ₦5.5 trillion annually making the proposed budget less than 10% of what is needed.

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Performing the inauguration in his office on Tuesday, Wike explained that the move was to ensure that each of the houses in mass housing and estates have separate C of O and it is paid for.

The Minister lamented that virtually all residential areas have been turned to commercial; adding that something would certainly be done about it.

According to him, those who contravened the Land Use Act must be rectified and pay penalties, stressing that those who have converted their approvals for residential buildings into commercial structures, and vice versa, would pay severely for it.

His words: “So, there must be a recertification and there must be penalties.”

“The only way people can be deterred from doing this is to make sure that we discourage them and discouraging them means that if you want to build, you have a penalty to pay, and that penalty must be severe,” he added.

“In as much as we want to generate revenue, we also want to control the development of areas,” Wike insisted.

READ ALSO: Issue certificate of occupancy to home owners within mass housing estates in fct , Reps direct Wike

“Abuja has to go back to the original Master Plan. If there is need to have some amendment, it is the government that will do such amendment, it is not for the allottees to do so on their own,” he stressed.

He said: “Part of the problem we are having is the agencies -Development Control is part of the problem; the Land Registry is part of the problem; Abuja Geographic Information Systems is part of the problem. That is why they are part of the Taskforce to face the problem they have caused and solve the problem. No outsider will do it.”

“So, you must be diligent. Of course, you know, I will monitor what you are doing, and this assignment will not last more than one month from today.”

The Minister directed the Taskforce to open two dedicated bank accounts for the assignment: one for non-compliance with the contravention of Land Use and the other for the Certificates of Occupancy.

He also asked the Taskforce to include people who were given land by the Area Councils but without C of O; adding that those concerned should be asked to apply and be informed about the amount to pay.

Wike explained that Abuja depends on Internally Generated Revenue to execute projects in the FCT.

“I am not interested in who did not comply and I don’t want anybody to write to me that the Taskforce came. All I need is results. I don’t want excuses,” he emphasized.

The Taskforce is chaired by Michael Chinda, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Lands, Urban and Regional Planning, while the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority, Engr. Shehu Ahmad is its Secretary.

Other members of the Taskforce include the Director, Department of Development Control, Director, Department of Land Administration and the Director, Department of Surveying and Mapping.

READ ALSO: Wike Orders Revocation of Houses Converted to Other Uses

Others are the Director, Department of Mass Housing, Director of AGIS, and Director, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, among others.

Responding on behalf of the members, Chinda expressed readiness of the Taskforce to get to work done within one month; promising not to disappoint the Minister.

He described the Certificates of Occupancy as an “indispensable requirement” for land ownership; adding that the land belongs to the government and the people using it must pay.

“We will not spare anyone that has contravened and we will do the needful.

“I can assure you that we will do this job with precision, diligence and a high level of professionalism so that we will meet your expectation and possibly exceed it,” he said.

Source: Abuja Digest

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The Enugu State governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has disclosed an ongoing plan by his administration to build 20,000 mass housing with modern facilities for the state civil servants within the next one year.

This was even as the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Non-Remittance to the National Housing Fund (NHF) and Utilization of the Funds led by its chairman, Hon. Dachung Bagos, commended the governor for his efforts in ensuring that the state government was up to date in terms of compliance and remittance to the NHF.

While receiving the members of the ad-hoc committee who were on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Enugu, on Tuesday, the governor said his government was passionate about prioritizing the welfare of workers in the state through various incentives which included the planned 20,000 mass housing.

Governor Mbah, who said the state had been playing major roles in the growth and development of the country, further added that Enugu State, under his government, would continue to meet up with its financial commitment for the welfare and well-being of the people.

“We will not only remit the 2.5% to the National Housing Fund, we will also engage the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria for mass housing.

“We have allocated a large expanse of land for mass housing, and we are going to construct 20,000 mass housing for our workers.

“Our goal is to ensure that workers have access to housing upon retirement,” the governor added.

Speaking earlier, the chairman of the ad-hoc committee said their mission to the state, as part of their mandate to visit the 36 states of the federation, was to investigate the level of compliance of remittance to the NHF by states and its utilization, stressing that the NHF Act 1922 presently under consideration for amendment “provides that every public worker, including the private sector is to contribute the 2.5% into the national housing fund”

Hon. Bagos, however, lauded the governor for meeting up with the financial obligation of the state by remitting the mandatory contributory fund, even as enjoined local governments in the state to emulate the commendable steps taken by the governor.

He said the choice of Enugu State as the first state in the federation to visit was predicated on its commitment to the welfare of its workers, assuring that the remittance would inspire them to allocate more housing to the state.

He encouraged the governor not to rest on the successes recorded by his administration but to do more in ensuring availability of more housing in the state.

Read Also: To Improve Access to Housing, Govt to Shift Focus from Ownership to Rental

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