FG Doubts Credibility of Nigeria’s Housing Data, Sets Up Panel

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, has expressed doubt over the integrity and reliability of Nigeria’s existing housing sector data.

Speaking at the inauguration of a joint steering committee in Abuja, the minister stated that the lack of credible, scientific, and verifiable data on the state of housing in the country was embarrassing.

The minister explained that ensuring access to decent and affordable housing was not only a social and moral responsibility of the government, but also a catalyst for economic development, job creation and poverty alleviation.

From the history and experiences of other countries, he said it was rare for any nation to grow, achieve peace, and enjoy stability without having a housing market that works efficiently and provides decent shelter for its citizens.

“While there are many issues in the sector that need fixing, the lack of credible, scientific, and verifiable data on the state of housing in our country stands out as the most pressing and embarrassing.

“This is because, without data, we cannot know the magnitude of the problem we are facing, how much resources we need to allocate, for how long, which areas to focus on, which markets to prioritise, and a whole host of other considerations. In fact, we would be flying blind. This is not sustainable,” he stressed.

For instance, Dangiwa said that it was common knowledge that Nigeria has a housing deficit and faces the dual challenge of inadequate housing supply to meet population growth, coupled with substandard housing that does not meet the basic conditions.

He said that these include of habitability, safety & security, comfort, sanitation, accessibility, infrastructure, social amenities, and socio-cultural adequacy as set out by the UN and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“But there is no industry-accepted data to illustrate this and guide the government, housing agencies, and financial institutions—both local and international—in planning and outlining strategies to fix Nigeria’s housing problem. What we have had over the decades are speculations and estimates.

“At the ministry, we consider this a national emergency for the housing sector, and as a government, we cannot allow it to continue,” he stated.

Membership of the committee includes representatives from: Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (Chair), National Population Commission (NPC), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC).

Others were: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Family Homes Funds Limited (FHF), Mortgage Bankers Association of Nigeria (MBAN), Housing Development Association of Nigeria (HDAN), Real Estate Developers’ Association of Nigeria (REDAN) and Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN).

The committee, he said, will oversee all matters outlined in the terms of reference, including providing direction and oversight as well as monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the committee’s commitments.

It will also be involved in resolving issues, and making recommendations to facilitate the objectives of the partners.

“ It will also provide a forum for the partners to exchange information, discuss best practices, including relevant guidance and input from external stakeholders, and address any other matters related to the strategic partnership among the partners,” the minister said.

According to him, some of the key deliverables will be to develop the framework and modalities for setting up the National Housing Data Centre (NHDC), covering technical requirements and specifications, and transactional and legal documentation.

They also include the design of a framework for distributing housing data to institutional and retail investors in the Nigerian financial market, data distribution to all participants in the housing market, among others.