The Federal Government has pledged to provide land for credible investors seeking to develop mass housing projects as part of efforts to tackle Nigeria’s estimated 17 million housing deficit.
Muttaqha Darma, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, made the commitment during a meeting with a Chinese delegation led by Chief Engineer Lewis Chima, who presented a proposal for a large-scale affordable housing partnership.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by Badamasi Haiba, the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, the minister said the proposal aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Housing Programme, which prioritises affordable housing through public-private partnerships.
“Our mandate is to ensure that more Nigerians have access to affordable and decent housing. We are ready to provide land in Abuja, across the states and local government areas, subject to due process and statutory requirements,” Darma said.
He noted that the ministry is committed to creating an enabling environment for genuine investors by facilitating land access and providing institutional support to ensure successful project delivery.
Presenting the proposal, Chima said the company chose Nigeria because of its huge housing demand and economic potential.
He said the proposed project would complement the Federal Government’s housing programme by delivering affordable, durable and rapidly deployable homes across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
“Our objective is not just to build houses but to develop sustainable communities using modern industrialised construction technology. We believe this project will make a significant contribution to reducing Nigeria’s housing deficit,” he said.
According to Chima, the company plans to deploy prefabricated construction technology under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing (EPCF) model that combines project design, financing, construction and delivery within a single framework.
He added that the model could deliver 10,000 housing units within 30 months while lowering construction costs, improving quality, shortening delivery timelines and leveraging international financing.
Following the presentation, Darma directed the ministry to establish a committee of relevant directors to evaluate the proposal and recommend the next steps.
Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to partnerships that will accelerate the delivery of affordable, quality and sustainable housing.
Nigeria faces a housing shortfall estimated at about 17 million units, prompting the Federal Government to launch the Renewed Hope Housing Programme.
The initiative is built around three components, Renewed Hope Cities, Renewed Hope Estates and Renewed Hope Social Housing Estates, and relies heavily on private sector participation to boost housing delivery.
According to the ministry, construction is already underway on more than 10,000 housing units across 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory, including the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City in Karsana, Abuja, a 2,000-unit project in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, another in Kano, as well as 250-unit housing estates in several states.
