The Federal Government has unveiled a new housing strategy anchored on public–private partnerships (PPP) to tackle Nigeria’s massive housing deficit, placing private sector investment at the heart of mass housing delivery nationwide.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, disclosed this on Monday in Ilorin during the 14th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development. Represented by the ministry’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Alhaji Mukhtar Ilyasu, Dangiwa said the framework is built on effective land administration, urban renewal, and strong collaboration with private investors.
He noted that Nigeria’s housing shortfall, estimated in the tens of millions, remains one of the country’s most pressing socio-economic challenges, worsened by rapid urbanisation, population growth, rising construction costs, and weak land management systems.
“The newly introduced policy direction places effective land administration at the centre of housing delivery, while adopting urban renewal as a strategic tool for rebuilding Nigerian cities,” Dangiwa said. He added: “The new framework positions private sector investment as the main driver of mass housing development across the country.”
The minister explained that PPPs will serve as the engine for housing and urban infrastructure delivery, with government providing policy support, reforms in land governance, and investment-friendly frameworks to attract private capital. He stressed that land management remains the foundation for expanding access to affordable housing.
Dangiwa also revealed that urban renewal and regeneration have been adopted as national policy tools to modernise cities, curb uncontrolled growth, and respond to climate-related challenges. He said the government is prioritising the use of locally sourced building materials to reduce costs and stimulate local industries, while introducing innovative housing finance models to unlock long-term funding for real estate.
He added that federal and state governments are being aligned under a unified housing and urban development agenda to ensure coordinated implementation.
Earlier, Kwara State Commissioner for Urban and Housing Development, Dr Olusegun Ogunsola, highlighted reforms by the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration, including restructuring the Kwara Geographic Information Services (KWAGIS) to improve transparency in land administration.
Ogunsola pointed to the 20,000-hectare Kwara Smart City project as a bold response to chaotic urban growth in Ilorin.
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