The Federal Government has officially validated Nigeria’s housing deficit at 15 million units, and adopted the World Bank Adequate Housing Index as the benchmark for measuring the country’s housing needs.
It also endorsed the National Housing Data Programme Framework and Implementation Strategy to drive evidence-based housing planning, policy and investment.
According to a copy of the communique obtained by THE WHISTLER on Sunday, the resolutions were adopted at the end of a three-day Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Validation of the National Housing Data Programme Report and the Regulation of the Built Environment in the Housing Sector.
It was organised by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in Abuja.
According to the communique, the workshop, which attracted more than 350 participants from the federal and state governments, ministries, departments and agencies, development partners, financial institutions, professional bodies, academia, civil society organisations and the private sector, concluded that the validated housing deficit figure and the new data framework would provide a credible foundation for addressing Nigeria’s housing challenges.
It stated that participants unanimously endorsed the National Housing Data Programme Framework and its implementation strategy.
It described it as a critical step towards establishing a reliable national housing data ecosystem capable of supporting policy formulation, planning, investment decisions and monitoring across the housing sector.
“They also endorsed the establishment of the National Housing Data Centre (NHDC) as a Special Purpose Vehicle to serve as the country’s central repository for housing information and facilitate the development of an integrated National Housing Database and Housing Market Information System”, the communique stated.
It recommended that all states domesticate and enforce the National Building Code, while proposing the establishment of a National Built Environment Regulatory Commission to strengthen professional accountability and improve development control.
It called for the mandatory registration and licensing of developers, compulsory geotechnical investigations and quality assurance for construction projects, stronger consumer protection mechanisms for home buyers, tenancy reforms, and a review of the Land Use Act to improve land administration.
The communique added that
stakeholders endorsed the roadmap for establishing and operationalising the National Housing Data Centre and pledged to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development through active data sharing, institutional partnerships and sustained technical engagement.
It stated that nineteen states, including Ogun, Kaduna, Rivers, Kano, Plateau, Delta and Bauchi, volunteered to serve as pioneer partners in implementing the National Housing Data Centre initiative, while several professional regulatory bodies also committed to supporting its rollout.
Speaking during the workshop, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Muttaqha Rabe Darma, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to evidence-based reforms.
He stated that credible housing data remains indispensable to improving housing delivery, strengthening regulation and attracting investment.
Darma noted that although the real estate sector contributes significantly to Nigeria’s economy, mortgage penetration remains extremely low despite substantial contributions to the National Housing Fund, with the country’s mortgage-to-GDP ratio falling below global benchmarks.
The minister also highlighted the persistent challenge of building collapse and called for stronger housing finance institutions, improved access to mortgages and greater utilisation of diaspora remittances to support housing development.
(The Whistler)