No industry-accepted data to fix Nigeria's housing problem — Dangiwa

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has said that there is no industry-accepted data to guide the federal government and financial institutions, both local and international, in planning and outlining strategies to fix Nigeria’s housing problem.

Dangiwa spoke while inaugurating a Joint Steering Committee on the National Housing Data Centre in Abuja, saying it is rare for any country to grow, achieve peace, and enjoy stability without having a housing market that works efficiently and provides decent shelter for its citizens.

He stated that the Committee should ensure that there is access to verifiable data for decent and affordable housing, adding that this is not only a social and moral responsibility of the government but also a catalyst for economic development, job creation, and poverty alleviation.

“All of us gathered here today are stakeholders in Nigeria’s housing industry. We all know where we stand as a country in terms of meeting the housing needs of Nigerians. We are far from where we should be in unleashing the sector’s potential as an enabler of economic growth,” he said.

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The Housing Minister further explained that, “What we have had over the decades are speculations and estimates. We consider this a national emergency for the housing sector, and as a government, we cannot allow it to continue.”

He, therefore, stated, “Fixing Nigeria’s housing data problem is a top priority. As the lead driver of Mr. President’s vision in the sector, we are committed to working with all stakeholders to tackle this problem.”

“This is in line with the mandate to develop and implement a blueprint for ensuring transparency and ease of access to housing data in Nigeria, which will be essential for policy and decision-making towards affordable housing and the well-being of Nigerians.”

Speaking on behalf of the Committee, Managing Director of Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, Mr. Kehinde Ogundimu, thanked the Minister for putting them in place to develop housing data that would serve both local and international investors.

Ogundimu also hinted that Nigeria’s housing market is in pitiable conditions in terms of knowing our authentic housing deficit, adding, “We now have 66 million habitable houses, while at least 40 percent of the structures are uninhabitable in the country.”