Nigeria’s Minister of Housing and Urban Development has revealed that nearly 70% of the country’a 43 million housing units lack the basic standards of housing safety, sanitation, habitability and accessibility, according to the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa also said the Nigerian government through the ministry is presently working to produce 100,000 housing units in the next ten years, aimed at reducing housing deficit in the country.
According to the Minister, only 3.30% of households have access to water, 24.00% have access to sewage systems, and just 51.70% are connected to the national grid.
“These are challenges that highlight the need for a dual approach to housing and urban development in our country, Dangiwa said at the maiden edition of the Renewed Hope Housing Summit on Monday, in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
“This includes slum upgrades and urban renewal to address existing deficiencies, and the construction of new housing units to meet the growing population’s needs”, he added.
Dangiwa said the ministry is addressing housing challenges through the Renewed Hope Housing Programme and the National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme, in consonance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu led government.
“Under a PPP framework arrangement, we are working to deliver 100,000 units with a Consortium of Developers, he continued.
“Nigeria is currently battling a housing deficit of about 28 million, putting many citizens at an uncomfortable situation where they are unable to access basic shelter.
“To bridge this gap and meet rising demand, we are working to deliver 100,000 housing units annually over the next decade. At an average cost of N10 million per unit, this translates to an annual financial requirement of over N5 trillion (approximately $6.25 billion).
“This scale of investment necessitates a collaborative strategy involving both the government and the private sector. It underscores the relevance of this summit’s theme: Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to Deliver the Renewed Hope Agenda for Housing.
“Under phase One of the MoU, we aim to deliver seven (7) Renewed Hope Cities targeting the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri, Enugu, Port Harcourt, and Nasarawa with effective demand for housing”, Mr. Dangiwa enumerated.
While revealing that construction is already in progress, with 6,612 housing units underway in the FCT (3,112 units), Lagos (2,000 units), and Kano (2,000 units), he said the housing types include apartment buildings with 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units, as well as terraces, duplexes and bungalows.
“The target beneficiaries for this component are upper-middle to high-income earners residing in major cities across the country”, he concluded.