FG Plans 100 Social Housing Units In Every Local Government Area
The Federal Government has announced plans to construct 100 social housing units in each local government area across Nigeria as part of efforts to address the country’s housing deficit and improve access to affordable accommodation.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaka Rabe Darma, disclosed this on Thursday at the closing ceremony of the 15th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development in Sokoto State.
Darma also revealed that the government was considering increasing the maximum mortgage financing limit from ₦50 million to ₦85 million to help more Nigerians purchase homes amid rising construction costs.
He said the proposed social housing programme would target low-income earners, particularly workers who cannot afford to build or buy their own houses.
The minister cited primary school teachers and other workers on modest incomes as potential beneficiaries, noting that many spend their working lives in rented accommodation without achieving homeownership.
He said the government was committed to expanding access to decent and affordable housing for Nigerians across different income groups.
FG Directs FMBN To Increase Housing Loan Support
As part of efforts to improve access to mortgage financing, Darma said the government had directed the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to disburse at least 70 per cent of its annual collections to support housing loans.
He added that the government was working towards establishing a National Housing Finance Authority to strengthen regulation, coordination and accountability in the housing finance sector.
The minister also announced plans to expand homeownership opportunities for Nigerians living abroad through a mortgage programme that would allow them to acquire houses in their preferred locations.
On land administration, Darma said the government was developing a centralised land management system to enable prospective property buyers to verify ownership and determine whether land was free from legal disputes without travelling to the states where the properties were located.
He also stressed the need to improve mortgage access for informal-sector workers, many of whom earn incomes and own land but struggle to secure conventional housing loans.
Nigeria Faces Major Housing Challenges
Earlier, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Barrister Nasiru Dantsoho, commended Governor Ahmed Aliyu for providing the financial and administrative support required to host the council meeting.
Dantsoho said the discussions and resolutions reached during the meeting would contribute to improving housing delivery and strengthening institutions responsible for providing decent accommodation.
He emphasised the need for sustainable policies and institutions capable of addressing Nigeria’s housing challenges and ensuring that the benefits of the council’s resolutions extended to future generations.
The commissioner also commended the housing minister for his efforts to improve access to shelter since assuming office.
Citing figures on the country’s housing challenges, Dantsoho said 14.5 million Nigerians lacked shelter, while another 15.5 million lived in unsafe environments.
The figures, as presented by the commissioner, underscored the scale of the challenge facing policymakers and housing-sector stakeholders.
Reps Committee Chairman Advocates Single-Digit Mortgages
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Urban Development, Awaji-Inombek Dagomie, urged federal and state governments to prioritise affordable, long-term mortgage financing for low- and middle-income earners.
Dagomie identified high interest rates as a major obstacle to homeownership and called for single-digit interest rates to make housing loans more accessible.
“I enjoin everyone, especially the government at the federal and state levels, to enable access to affordable long-term and preferably single-digit mortgage financing for low- and middle-income Nigerians,” he said.
He argued that the prevailing cost of borrowing made it difficult for many Nigerians to secure mortgage loans and purchase homes.
The lawmaker also called for increased investment in high-rise residential buildings, particularly in urban centres where expensive land significantly contributes to housing costs.
According to him, multi-storey residential developments could spread land costs across more housing units, potentially reducing the overall cost of accommodation.
Lawmaker Seeks Digital Land Registration, Building Identification
Dagomie further advocated the digitalisation and simplification of land registration processes to improve transparency and reduce delays in property transactions.
He proposed introducing a unique national identification number for every building to strengthen accountability, improve housing statistics and help authorities track property ownership.
“I want to suggest that we consider a national house identification for every property, for every building,” he said.
He explained that the proposed system could make it easier for authorities to identify properties owned by individuals, improve the accuracy of housing data and strengthen accountability in the sector.
The lawmaker added that a comprehensive property identification system could help address concerns about concealed ownership and improve the administration of estates belonging to deceased persons.
Although he acknowledged that the proposal could be controversial, he urged stakeholders to consider its potential benefits.
Dagomie also called for stricter enforcement of development control regulations, warning that poor urban planning and weak enforcement contributed to flooding in major cities.
He cited Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja as examples of cities affected by flooding and stressed the importance of effective development control and proper land-use planning.
The lawmaker further urged the government to promote locally sourced building materials as a way to reduce construction costs and improve housing affordability.
He said stronger mortgage financing, improved land administration, effective urban planning and the use of local building materials were critical to expanding access to decent homes across Nigeria.
