FG Ends Controversy on Nigeria’s Housing Gap, Committee Pegs Deficit at 15m Units

• Minister pitches opportunities in housing sector at Saudi forum

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The National Housing Data Technical Committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has released new data indicating that Nigeria’s housing deficit for 2025 stood at 14.925 million housing units, putting to rest the various controversies on the country’s actual housing gap.

The data was presented by the Chairman of the National Housing Data Technical Committee and Director at Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC), Dr. Taofeek Olatinwo, during a technical session at the 14th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, which ended in Ilorin at the weekend.

According to the presentation, recent analyses conducted under the national housing data programme offered more scientific estimates compared to unverified figures touted over the last few years, a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Badamasi Haiba, said yesterday.

The data, which focused on the number of persons per room as a standard for determining deficit, highlighted persistent supply gaps driven by rapid population growth, urbanisation pressures, limited access to long-term housing finance, land and title constraints, and inadequate housing supply across several regions.

During the presentation, the committee chairman, Olatinwo, explained that the deficit estimates were derived from multiple validated data sources, including national household surveys, population and housing census data, and housing adequacy indices developed under international best practice frameworks.

“Reliable housing data is fundamental to solving Nigeria’s housing problem. Accurate measurement of the housing deficit allows government, lenders, developers, and investors to plan effectively, allocate resources properly, and design sustainable interventions that expand access to affordable housing,” he said.

The presentation formed part of the broader work of the National Housing Data Technical Committee, a multi-agency platform inaugurated by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and coordinated by NMRC, in collaboration with National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), National Population Commission (NPC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN ), Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and other key housing sector institutions.

Housing Minister, Ahmed Dangiwa, in his remarks, commended the committee for finally putting the issue of Nigeria’s housing data to rest. “One of the biggest gaps in our sector has been the absence of reliable, centralised, and actionable housing data. Without data, planning becomes guesswork; investment becomes speculative; and tracking progress becomes difficult,” he said.

Under the programme, the committee led efforts to establish the National Housing Data Centre, a central platform designed to aggregate, standardise, and disseminate housing and mortgage market data to support policy formulation, housing delivery planning, and long-term housing finance development.

The new deficit figures reaffirmed the scale of Nigeria’s housing challenge and strengthened the case for coordinated reforms in land administration, housing supply, infrastructure development, and mortgage finance expansion.

The National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development serves as the highest intergovernmental policy forum on housing and urban development in Nigeria, bringing together federal and state governments to deliberate on sector priorities, reforms, and implementation strategies.

Meanwhile, Dangiwa, has called on global investors and real estate developers to partner with Nigeria in scaling housing delivery under the Renewed Hope Housing Programme, describing the country’s housing market as one of the largest, most immediate, and most bankable demand opportunities in Africa.

The minister made this pitch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while speaking as a panellist at the 2026 Saudi Real Estate Forum (RFF 2026), held at Riyadh Kingdom Centre, during a high-level panel session on “Building Strong Foundations: The Role of Government in Real Estate.”

The session, held on Monday, 26 January 2026, brought together senior public sector leaders and policy-makers from Africa and Asia, including, Hon. Judith Nabakooba, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Uganda; H.E. Dr. Theng Chan Sangvar, Secretary of State, Ministry of Land Management, Cambodia; with the panel moderated by Mr. Rami Rafih.

In his remarks, Dangiwa stated that Nigeria’s housing strategy is built on a clear affordability benchmark, stressing that no household should spend more than one-third of its income on housing, whether through rent or mortgage.

He explained that the Renewed Hope Housing Programme adopts an income-based framework to ensure that housing products align with citizens’ real earning realities.

The minister emphasised that affordability must be treated as a practical delivery standard, not a slogan, stressing that the programme is designed around what Nigerians can actually pay.

According to Dangiwa, the government must intervene most strongly in segments where private markets will not naturally provide solutions, particularly for low-income citizens.

He disclosed that the Programme prioritises Nigerians with the greatest need, including vulnerable groups such as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and revealed that under the Renewed Hope Social Estates initiative, 30 per cent of housing units will be delivered free to support people who require urgent housing stability.