The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has clarified that the Federal Government’s land reforms will respect state governments’ authority over land matters
By Angela Atabo
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has clarified that the Federal Government’s land reforms will respect state governments’ authority over land matters in their jurisdictions.
He made the remarks during a two-day Ministerial Retreat on Performance Management System and the signing of the 2025 Directors’ Performance Contracts, in Abuja on Friday.
The retreat, themed “Accelerating Service Delivery through Performance Contracting and Strategic Alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda,” aimed to enhance sectoral outcomes.
Dangiwa noted that land reform was key to unlocking Nigeria’s vast land resources and delivering affordable housing, one of the ministry’s 2025 priorities under the Presidential Performance Bond.
He confirmed the goal was to deliver 20,000 affordable homes nationwide and expand the National Land Registration and Documentation Programme (NLRDP).
“Access to land is critical for housing development. We must collaborate with states to digitise land records, promote transparency, and secure tenure,” he said.
He assured that the federal reform “will not infringe” on states’ land rights, but would instead coordinate efforts to harness more than N300 trillion in untapped land assets.
The minister revealed that many governors had adopted Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for land management, and urged others to follow.
He also announced plans to establish a National Land Commission to streamline land governance, deliver policy coherence, and strengthen regulatory oversight.
Permanent Secretary Dr Shuaib Belgore said the ministry’s 2025 PMS plan included ongoing affordable housing projects like “Renewed Hope Cities” (3,000–5,000 units each in four locations) and “Renewed Hope Estates” (250 homes in 13 locations, with expansion underway).
He added that a “Renewed Hope Social Housing Programme” 100 homes per local government, totaling 77,400, had been proposed to address Nigeria’s housing deficit.
Mr Mukhtar Iliyasu, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, described PMS as a tool for results-based public administration.
He said the retreat aligned the ministry’s goals with national priorities and culminated in a memorandum of understanding signed by all directors and department heads to commit to efficient, accountable service delivery. (NAN0(www.nanew.ng)