FG fixing economic foundations to make Housing affordable – Dangiwa

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Architect Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has restated the federal government’s commitment to tackling Nigeria’s housing crisis by addressing the structural and macroeconomic barriers that make housing unaffordable for most citizens.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at the opening of the 19th Africa International Housing Show (AIHS), Dangiwa said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is stabilising the economy, strengthening the naira, boosting real incomes, and cutting inflation—all efforts he said would eventually translate into affordable housing.

He revealed that the government is set to roll out a State-by-State Homeownership and Housing Development Campaign, which aims to drive affordable housing at the grassroots level by aligning national policies with state-level implementation.

This campaign will be driven in collaboration with state governments, the private sector, and development partners.

The Minister highlighted three components of the Renewed Hope Housing Programme: Renewed Hope Cities (large-scale urban developments in cities like Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna), Renewed Hope Estates (medium-density residential clusters across 30 states), and Renewed Hope Social Housing Estates (deeply affordable homes for low-income Nigerians across all LGAs, supported by government subsidies).

To boost mortgage access, Dangiwa noted that the MOFI Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF) has been established to provide long-term mortgage loans at 12% interest.

He also introduced new Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) schemes such as the Rent-to-Own Scheme and the Rental Assistance Product—innovations aimed at easing housing pressures for young families and urban workers.

The minister also discussed plans for slum upgrades through the National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme, which aligns with global housing development commitments.

Recognising the shortfall in housing delivery capacity at the subnational level, Dangiwa announced that Housing Reform Champions will be embedded as advisers to governors.

States will also benefit from technical support, access to funding, and alignment with federal housing institutions like FMBN, NMRC, Family Homes Funds, Shelter Afrique, and others.

Additionally, a National Housing Policy Coordination and Monitoring Committee will be inaugurated to ensure effective evaluation and implementation of housing policies.

Former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, also called for urgent local solutions to Nigeria’s worsening housing deficit, which he estimates to be between 17 and 22 million units.

He applauded the recapitalisation of FMBN from ₦2.5 billion to ₦500 billion but warned that inflation and high interest rates have rendered homeownership nearly impossible for 90% of Nigerians.

Gana urged for the establishment of building material manufacturing hubs in Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to reduce dependency on imports, which currently make up 50–70% of housing costs. He linked housing insecurity to national security, saying inadequate shelter contributes to inequality, unrest, and rising crime.

He also called for decentralisation, stressing that state and local governments should be empowered to provide infrastructure and housing solutions.

In his goodwill message, former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon (represented by Professor Suleiman Bogoro) urged collective efforts to promote affordable, inclusive housing.

UN-Habitat’s Programme Officer, Paul Okunlola, called for a rethink of Nigeria’s housing policies, noting that 2.8 billion people globally lack access to decent shelter.

He identified fragmented policies, insufficient data, and a lack of implementation as key challenges and recommended data-driven planning to close the housing gap and improve sustainability.

Speakers at the event agreed that housing is not just an economic issue but also one tied to national stability, dignity, and sustainable development.