Housing Minister marks two years with reforms, urban renewal projects

By Kunle Sanni –

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has marked his second year in office with sweeping reforms aimed at tackling Nigeria’s housing deficit, slum renewal, and systemic challenges in the real estate sector.

Appointed on August 22, 2023, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dangiwa has spearheaded programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda that have accelerated housing delivery and urban renewal efforts.

The Ministry’s flagship Renewed Hope Housing Programme (REHHP) has delivered more than 10,000 housing units across 14 states and the FCT in just two years — a remarkable improvement compared to the 3,500 units delivered in the previous eight years. Major projects include the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City in Abuja’s Karsana district, a 2,000-unit scheme in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, and large-scale estates in Kano and 12 other states.

To address urban decay, the National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme has rehabilitated over 150 communities nationwide, providing better roads, drainage, water supply, solar power, schools, and health centres.

Reforms at the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) have widened access to affordable mortgages, introduced zero-down-payment rent-to-own schemes, and mobilised over ₦70 billion in private capital for housing projects. A Renewed Hope Social Housing Programme is also set to deliver 77,400 affordable homes — 100 in each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas — with the potential to create more than two million jobs.

The Ministry has also rolled out initiatives to unlock capital trapped in untitled land, establish a National Housing Data Centre for reliable sector data, set up regional building materials manufacturing hubs to reduce costs, and create a Housing Fraud Reporting Platform to restore public trust.

Other initiatives include a construction skills training programme for artisans, international partnerships to finance affordable housing — including 5,000 units through Shelter Afrique Development Bank — and collaborations with the World Bank and UN-Habitat to scale up reforms.

Dangiwa said the Ministry is “not just building houses, but building hope, dignity, and prosperity for millions of Nigerians,” adding that the reforms are only at an early stage.