Election 2027: Why housing must top politicians' campaign manifestos

As Nigeria moves towards the 2027 general elections, political parties and candidates will once again make promises on security, electricity, education, healthcare, infrastructure, employment and economic growth. But there is one issue that deserves to move from the margins of political campaigns to the very centre of the national conversation: housing.

Housing is not merely about putting roofs over people's heads. It is directly connected to poverty reduction, employment creation, infrastructure development, public health, family stability, industrialisation, wealth creation and the overall quality of life. Every candidate seeking to govern Nigeria should therefore be prepared to answer one fundamental question: 'Where and how will Nigerians live under your government?'

For too long, housing has appeared in political manifestos as a few paragraphs, promising thousands or millions of homes. After elections, many of those promises disappear, while rents continue to rise, mortgage access remains difficult, land administration remains cumbersome, and the cost of construction continues to increase. A serious housing manifesto should explain how a candidate intends to deal with land administration, how quickly Nigerians will be able to obtain titles, what will be done about the high cost of land, and how serviced land will be made available for affordable housing.

Mortgage reform, rent-to-own programmes, housing cooperatives, pension-backed housing finance and other innovative financing mechanisms should become important election issues. The rising cost of building materials — cement, steel, roofing sheets and finishing materials — must also feature prominently in the 2027 campaign debate, with candidates explaining how they intend to encourage local production, increase competition and support alternative building technologies.