‘For policy formation’ — FG inaugurates committee to tackle housing deficit

Ahmed Dangiwa, minister of housing and urban development, has inaugurated a joint steering committee to address the country’s housing deficit.

Speaking at the inauguration on Tuesday, Dangiwa said that the committee is a collaborative effort among key stakeholders to develop a blueprint for transparent and accessible housing data.

The minister said the team has six months to establish a framework for collecting, sharing, and utilizing housing data from various sources, and setting up a mortgage exchange.

Dangiwa decried the “lack of accurate data on Nigeria’s housing situation”, describing it as a “national emergency for the sector”.

“Without data, we cannot know the magnitude of the problem we are facing, how much resources we need to allocate, for how long, which areas to focus on, which markets to prioritise, and a host of other considerations. In fact, we would be flying blind. This is not sustainable,” he said.

“As a government, we cannot allow this to continue. That is why, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for housing and urban development, solving Nigeria’s housing data problem is a top priority.

The minister said findings by the committee will be essential for policy formulation and decision-making to achieve affordable housing for Nigerians.

The committee’s membership includes representatives from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, National Population Commission, National Bureau of Statistics, Central Bank of Nigeria, and Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company.

Other are Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Federal Housing Authority, Family Homes Funds Limited, Mortgage Bankers Association of Nigeria, Housing Development Association of Nigeria, Real Estate Developers’ Association of Nigeria, Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria.

The minister asked members to approach their duties with diligence and commitment.