- Nigeria’s Minister of Housing and Urban Development says 75 per cent of Nigeria’s 42 million housing units are substandard
- The minister said more than half of Nigeria’s population lives in informal settlements
- He said the Federal Government is tackling the housing crisis through many initiatives
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Musa Dangiwa, says over 75 per cent of Nigeria’s current 42 million housing units are substandard.
Dangiwa noted that Nigeria faces a housing crisis as nearly half of Nigeria’s population resides in informal settlements.
According to a statement on the ministry’s website on Friday, December 6, Dangiwa stated this on the sidelines of the second session of the 2024 UN-Habitat Executive Board Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.
The statement read, “Arc. Dangiwa underscored the critical state of housing in Nigeria, noting that over 75 per cent of the country’s 42 million housing units are substandard, with nearly half of the population living in informal settlements.”
FG’s efforts to tackle substandard housing
The minister added that the Federal Government is committed to tackling the challenge of substandard housing and informal settlements, which informed the National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme (NURSUP).
Dangiwa noted that the initiative has completed projects at 54 sites across the country, with 56 additional projects currently in progress.
He said the initiative prioritises the improvement of essential infrastructure, such as water supply, solar-powered streetlights, access roads, drainage systems, and waste management solutions.
Dangiwa said there is a need to partner with international organisations like UN-Habitat to expand these initiatives and ensure long-term sustainable urban development.
In addition to the NURSUP, the Federal Government also launched the Renewed Hope Cities and Estate Programme, which aims to deliver 50,000 housing units in its first phase, with projects across all geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as estates in the remaining 30 states.
There are currently 14 active sites nationwide under development, accounting for a total of 10,112 housing units, including 250 units each in 12 states.
The government disclosed that government-backed one-bedroom apartments under the Renewed Hope Estates Programme are priced between N8 million and N9 million.
In comparison, one-bedroom units developed through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) under the Renewed Hope Cities initiative cost around N22 million.
The government also launched the Ministry of Finance Incorporated Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF) to address the country’s housing deficit by providing low-cost mortgage financing options for eligible Nigerians.
Need for increased budgetary allocation
The Housing Minister previously said that an annual N500 billion allocation from the Senate is required to bridge the gap between the country’s budgetary provisions and its housing needs.
Dangiwa said a total of N5.5 trillion annually is required to achieve the target of increasing Nigeria’s housing stock by 550,000 units per year over the next decade.
He stressed that, according to the monetary requirement, the ministry’s N500 billion request is only 10 per cent of the amount requested.
Already, the Senate Committee on Lands, Housing, and Urban Development backs the minister’s funding request to support the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme.
FG issues 60-day deadline for titled property owners to settle outstanding payments or lose C of O
Meanwhile, TheRadar reported that the Federal Government of Nigeria imposed a 60-day deadline for owners of titled properties across the nation to settle any unpaid ground rent and statutory charges or risk losing their Certificates of Occupancy (C of O).
Architect Musa Dangiwa, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, made this announcement on Wednesday, October 23, during the 29th Conference of Directors of Lands in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja.
