The Federal Government says it is intensifying efforts to address Nigeria’s growing housing deficit through a new national housing strategy focused on land reforms, urban renewal, and public-private partnerships.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, said this while declaring open the 14th meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development on Monday in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The 14th National Council had the theme: “Achieving Housing Delivery and Sustainable Cities Through Effective Land Management, Urban Renewal, Promotion of Local Building Materials, and Public-Private Partnership in Nigeria.”

Represented by Alhaji Mukhtar Ilyasu, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the ministry, Dangiwa said that the strategy placed effective land administration at the centre of housing delivery nationwide.

He explained that the policy adopted urban renewal as a key tool for rebuilding Nigerian cities, while positioning private sector investment as the main driver of mass housing development.

”Nigeria’s housing deficit, estimated in the tens of millions, remains one of the country’s most pressing social and economic challenges, driven by rapid urbanisation, population growth and rising construction costs.

“The new framework is expected to guide housing delivery, land administration, and urban development planning across the Federation in the coming years.

”Urban renewal and regeneration have been adopted as national policy tools to modernise cities, curb uncontrolled urban expansion, and respond to population pressure and climate challenges,” he said.

The minister also disclosed that the Federal Government was prioritising the large-scale use of locally sourced building materials and construction technologies to reduce costs, improve affordability, and strengthen domestic industries.

He said public-private partnerships would serve as the main engine for mass housing and urban infrastructure delivery across the country.

The Kwara Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Dr Segun Ogunshola, said challenges affecting housing provision persisted, but the state government was implementing measures to address land and housing shortages.

He said the 20,000-unit Kwara Smart City Project was already laying the foundation for a next-generation mega city, adding that the project’s master plan had been reviewed to improve livability.

The commissioner added that municipal areas across the state had been upgraded with improved water supply, road networks, and other infrastructure to enhance urban development and beautification.

Earlier in her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Kwara State Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Alhaja Risikat Abdulazeez, called for a holistic approach to reducing the housing deficit amid rapid urbanisation.

The National Council Meeting is a forum that provides a strategic platform for aligning federal and state policies and accelerating reforms in the housing and urban development sector.

The meeting remains a critical avenue for strengthening intergovernmental collaboration, reviewing sectoral policies, and evolving practical solutions to fast-track the delivery of affordable housing and sustainable urban development across the country.

Participants at the meeting include states’ commissioners, permanent secretaries, directors in charge of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and chief executives of Housing Corporations.

Surveyor-Generals, professional bodies, and other key stakeholders in the built environment sector were also present.

By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus