Education
Nigeria commits to affordable housing delivery – EnviroNews
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The Federal Government says it has adopted practical measures to accelerate delivery of affordable housing to Nigerians.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Muttaqa Rabe-Darma, said this during an inspection tour of Renewed Hope Housing projects, on Monday, June 1, 2026, in Kano.
He said the visit was part of efforts to assess the projects and identify areas where government intervention could fast-track its completion across the country.
“We have come to Kano to inspect some projects. Our visit includes seeing the status of these projects and identifying areas where we can come in to accelerate the completion of those projects,” he said.
He recalled that during the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Summit held on May 12, the government announced plans to deliver about 15,000 housing units under viable housing programmes to Nigerians.
“I promised that I will visit all the project locations. So far, I have visited Abuja and five states.
“We still have a long way to go, but we now understand the status of the projects and know those that are performing and those that require additional attention,” he said.
Rabe-Darma said that 371 housing units had been completed at the Renewed Hope City in Kano, adding that subscribers were allowed to undertake fittings and interior finishing according to their preferences.
“What I have seen so far are houses that have been fully completed apart from fittings. I can now see how the houses will look after subscribers complete their preferred finishing,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction with the quality and level of completion of the housing projects, noting that many of the houses had been fully subscribed.
“The houses inspected are about 90 to 95 per cent completed. Many of the units have already been subscribed to and paid for, while the beneficiaries are waiting to move in.
“This is exactly what we want to see. The project is a partnership between government and private developers, and we appreciate those developers who are genuinely committed to providing housing for Nigerians,” he said.
According to Rabe-Darma, the housing sector is critical towards addressing an estimated 28 million housing deficit in Nigeria.
He said that Nigerians, especially teachers, health workers and other low and middle-income earners, aspire to own decent and affordable homes.
The minister said the federal government would continue to provide the necessary support to developers and other stakeholders, to facilitate increased housing delivery across the country.
He, however, expressed dismay over delays in some of the projects, where structure was lagging at a development stage in spite of contracts awarded in the last two years.
Rabe-Darma warned that contractors are expected to comply with the terms of agreement, adding that contracts are being awarded only to firms that meet technical and financial requirements.
He said the ministry would carefully assess the performance of all contractors handling the projects, and take appropriate decisions where necessary.
“We do not take sweeping decisions immediately. We will obtain detailed reports on each contractor.
“Where there is clear failure to perform, appropriate action will be taken in line with the terms of the contract,” Rabe-Darma said.
By Suyudi Isah Jibril