Tambuwal And Minister Call For Innovative Strategies To Tackle Housing Deficit.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Aminu Tambuwal, has urged stakeholders to adopt innovative strategies to enhance affordable housing, boost private sector involvement, and reinforce institutional frameworks in the housing sector.
Speaking at the housing sector retreat in Lagos, themed “Actualising the Renewed Hope Agenda for Housing and Urban Development” Tambuwal emphasised the need to identify challenges and implement solutions to transform the sector and address Nigeria’s housing deficit.
He assured that the Senate and the wider National Assembly would continue collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, its agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure that housing initiatives align with the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and international best practices.
Tambuwal highlighted the importance of securing funding for priority projects, including the Renewed Hope City and Estates Programme, the National Housing Programme, the construction and rehabilitation of federal secretariats, and the clearance of outstanding liabilities to local contractors. He also revealed ongoing efforts to reinstate the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in the national budget, enabling it to replicate past successes such as FESTAC Town and Gwarimpa Estate.
Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, commended the Senate committee’s intervention, particularly its decision to increase the ministry’s budget by an additional ₦50 billion. He noted that this funding boost would enable more Nigerians to benefit from the ministry’s housing initiatives, create jobs, empower businesses, and enhance economic growth.
Dangiwa stressed the critical role of housing as a catalyst for economic development, stating that investment in the sector is both a moral necessity and an economic imperative. He urged the government to target the construction of at least 500,000 housing units annually under the Renewed Hope Agenda, with a focus on expanding access to affordable housing, implementing land reforms, and strengthening the real estate sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
With these commitments, stakeholders remain optimistic that sustainable solutions will be implemented to address Nigeria’s housing deficit and improve the lives of millions.
