The Federal Government has inaugurated a joint steering committee to address the country’s housing shortages.
News About Nigeria reports that the inauguration ceremony took place on Tuesday, led by Housing and Urban Development Minister, Ahmed Dangiwa.
The minister stressed the importance of reliable data in addressing the nation’s housing challenges.
“Ensuring access to decent and affordable housing is not only a social and moral responsibility of the government. It is also a catalyst for economic development, job creation, and poverty alleviation,” he stated.
The minister expressed concern about the lack of credible data on Nigeria’s housing situation, describing it as a crisis for the sector.
“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 host of other considerations. In fact, we would be flying blind. This is not sustainable,” he warned.
He said the newly formed committee is tasked with creating a plan for a National Housing Data Centre.
The committee comprises representatives from key stakeholders in Nigeria’s housing market, including the National Population Commission, the National Bureau of Statistics, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, among others.
“The committee has been established as a strategic partnership among key stakeholders in Nigeria’s housing market, with the mandate to develop and implement a blueprint for ensuring transparency and ease of access to housing data in Nigeria, which will be essential for policy and decision-making towards affordable housing and the well-being of Nigerians,” the minister explained.
The minister outlined the committee’s key objectives, including developing frameworks for setting up the NHDC, collecting data from public and private institutions, and distributing housing data to investors.
He said the committee has two to four months to achieve these goals, appealing to members to approach their duties with dedication and commitment.
“I urge all the members to take this national assignment seriously and dedicate their efforts and resources to achieving the goals for which this committee is set up.
“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we are firmly against creating committees that do not deliver on their mandates. The timelines are clear, and the deliverables are also clear. Let us work towards meeting them and charting a new and credible path forward for housing data acquisition, management, and usage,” he said.
