FG inaugurates 15-member committee to implement housing sector reforms

Nigeria's Federal Government has inaugurated a 15-member ministerial committee to develop an implementation framework for validated stakeholder resolutions on housing sector reforms, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Minister of Housing and Urban Development Muttaqha Darma inaugurated the committee in Abuja, saying it followed a stakeholder validation conference convened to validate the ministry's housing deficit data and design policies to transform the built environment. The recommendations from that engagement were grouped into three categories: measures that can be implemented immediately, those that require further validation, and those that will follow legislation.

Darma said the government has a duty to provide housing for Nigerians and to create an enabling environment for citizens to house themselves, adding that the built environment must be properly regulated so it contributes more to the national economy. He cited the 2025 rebasing by the National Bureau of Statistics, which indicated the sector contributed more than 17 per cent of Nigeria's economy, compared with between 22 and 27 per cent in South Africa and Kenya.

The committee is chaired by the ministry's Permanent Secretary, Dr Shuaib Belgore, with representatives from the ministry, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Housing Authority. It has been given six weeks to develop an implementation strategy, including a work plan with priority actions, responsible institutions, timelines, milestones and deliverables.

FMBN Managing Director Shehu Osidi described the proposed reforms as long overdue and urged the ministry to prioritise effective stakeholder engagement, noting that earlier attempts to amend the National Housing Fund and FMBN Acts were halted after stakeholders raised concerns. FHA Managing Director Oyetunde Ojo pledged the authority's support for the reform process.