The federal government has announced plans to construct 100 social housing units in each local government area across the country as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s housing deficit and improve access to affordable accommodation.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaka Rabe Darma, disclosed this while outlining ongoing housing reforms at the closing ceremony of the 15th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development held in Sokoto State on Thursday.
Darma also revealed that the government was considering increasing the maximum mortgage financing limit from N50m to N85m to enable more Nigerians to own homes amid rising construction costs.
The proposed social housing programme is expected to target low-income earners, particularly workers who cannot afford to build or purchase their own houses.
The minister cited primary school teachers and other low-income workers who spend their working lives in rented accommodation as potential beneficiaries of the initiative.
He said the government was committed to ensuring that Nigerians with modest incomes could access decent and affordable housing.
As part of efforts to improve mortgage accessibility, Darma said the government had directed the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 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 access to homeownership for Nigerians in the diaspora through a mortgage programme that would enable them to acquire houses in their preferred locations.
On land administration, he said the government was developing a centralised land management system to enable prospective buyers to verify property ownership and determine whether land was free from legal disputes without travelling to the states where the properties were located.
Darma stressed the need to improve access to mortgage financing for informal-sector workers, many of whom earn incomes and own land but face difficulties accessing conventional housing loans.
Earlier, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Barrister Nasiru Dantsoho, said the successful hosting of the council meeting reflected the support provided by the state government.
Dantsoho, who delivered the welcome address at the closing ceremony, commended Governor Ahmed Aliyu for providing the necessary financial and administrative support to ensure the success of the event.
He said the deliberations would contribute to improving housing delivery and strengthening the institutions responsible for providing decent accommodation to Nigerians.
The commissioner stressed the need for sustainable policies and institutions to address the country’s housing challenges, adding that the benefits of the council’s resolutions should extend to future generations.
He also commended the housing minister for his efforts towards improving access to shelter since assuming office.
Dantsoho cited figures indicating that 14.5 million Nigerians lacked shelter, while another 15.5 million lived in unsafe environments, underscoring the scale of the country’s housing challenges.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Dagomie, called on the federal and state governments to prioritise affordable, long-term mortgage financing for low- and middle-income earners.
Dagomie said high interest rates remained a major obstacle to homeownership, urging the government to consider 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 obtain mortgage loans and purchase homes.
The lawmaker also called for greater investment in high-rise residential buildings, particularly in urban centres where the cost of land contributes significantly to housing expenses.
According to him, constructing multi-storey residential buildings would allow the cost of land to be shared among more housing units, potentially reducing the overall cost of accommodation.
Dagomie further advocated the digitalisation and simplification of land registration processes to improve transparency and reduce delays in property transactions.
He proposed the introduction of 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 such a system would 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 insisted that a comprehensive property identification system could also help address concerns about concealed property ownership and improve the administration of estates belonging to deceased persons.
He acknowledged that the proposal could be controversial but 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 Nigerian cities.
He cited Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja as examples of cities that had experienced flooding, stressing the need for effective development control and proper land-use planning.
The lawmaker equally urged the government to promote the use of locally sourced building materials to reduce construction costs and improve housing affordability.
He said strengthening mortgage financing, reforming land administration and improving urban planning were critical to accelerating inclusive housing delivery across the country.