Abuja: The Federal Government has inaugurated a 15-member ministerial committee to develop an implementation framework aimed at advancing housing sector reforms. This initiative is expected to address stakeholder resolutions and transform the housing and built environment sectors.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the committee was inaugurated by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, who emphasized the critical need for transformation in the sector. The establishment of the committee follows a stakeholder validation conference intended to verify the ministry’s housing deficit data and to craft policies for sector improvement.
Darma outlined that the recommendations from the conference were categorized into three distinct groups based on their implementation feasibility: immediate implementation, post-validation implementation, and implementation requiring legislative action. He stressed the responsibility of the government to provide housing for Nigerians and create conditions that allow citizens to secure housing independently. Moreover, he highlighted the importance of regulating the built environment to enhance its contribution to the national economy.
He cited the 2025 rebasing by the National Bureau of Statistics, which indicated that the housing sector contributed over 17 percent to Nigeria’s economy, a figure that trails behind countries like South Africa and Kenya, where the sector contributes between 22 and 27 percent to their GDPs.
The minister tasked the committee, chaired by Dr. Shuaib Belgore, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, to deliver an implementation strategy within six weeks. The committee is entrusted with developing a work plan detailing priority actions, responsible institutions, timelines, and deliverables. Their responsibilities also include monitoring progress, resolving implementation bottlenecks, and fostering inter-agency collaboration.
Belgore assured the minister of the committee’s dedication to completing the assignment within the stipulated timeframe, with the aim of enhancing the housing sector’s contribution to the economy. He stressed the importance of refining the working document and conducting further stakeholder consultations to ensure broad support for the implementation framework.
Further backing for the reform process was expressed by the Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Shehu Osidi, and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Managing Director, Oyetunde Ojo. Osidi emphasized the necessity of effective stakeholder engagement, while Ojo, through the Executive Director of Projects and Infrastructure, Mr. Oluremi Omowaiye, pledged the FHA’s full support to ensure the success of the reforms.