The federal government has said it would prioritize the use of local materials to drive its new reform agenda that will close the housing deficit in the country.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, at the 14th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development meeting on Monday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
He said Nigeria’s housing deficit, estimated in tens of millions, remains one of the most pressing social and economic challenges, driven by rapid urbanisation, population growth and rising construction costs, noting that the new policy framework is expected to shape housing delivery, land administration and urban development planning across the federation in the coming years.
Speaking at the event, the Minister, represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics of the ministry, Mr Mukhtar Ilyasu, said the government has placed effective land management at the centre of its housing delivery strategy, describing land administration as the foundation for expanding access to affordable housing nationwide.
According to him, urban renewal and regeneration have now been adopted as national policy tools for modernising Nigerian cities, addressing uncontrolled urban growth and responding to population pressure and climate challenges.
He said the government is also prioritising the large-scale adoption of locally sourced building materials and technologies as a cost reduction strategy aimed at making housing more affordable while strengthening domestic construction industries.
“Effective land management remains the foundation of housing delivery in Nigeria. Without fixing land administration, it will be difficult to close the country’s housing deficit.
“Urban renewal and regeneration have been adopted as national policy tools for rebuilding Nigerian cities, addressing uncontrolled urban growth and improving the quality of life of our citizens.
“The promotion of locally sourced building materials and technologies is now a policy priority to reduce construction costs, deepen local industry and improve housing affordability.”
“Federal and state governments are being aligned under a unified housing and urban development agenda to ensure coordinated implementation and results driven execution”, he said.
Mr Dangiwa added that public private partnerships will serve as the main engine for mass housing and urban infrastructure delivery across the federation.
The government, he noted, will provide policy support, land governance reforms and investment frameworks to attract private capital into the sector.
To support the new direction, he said the FG is strengthening national land governance frameworks to promote inclusive urban growth and remove long standing bottlenecks in land administration that have slowed housing development.
The minister said the new policy thrust further includes innovative housing finance and investment strategies designed to unlock long term funding for real estate development and bridge Nigeria’s widening housing gap.
He stressed that federal and state governments are being aligned under a unified housing and urban development agenda to ensure coordinated implementation and results driven execution.