Minister Advocates For Accurate Data To Solve Housing Shortage

Minister Advocates For Accurate Data To Solve Housing Shortage

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has stressed the critical role of credible data in addressing Nigeria’s housing deficit.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, August 20, during the inauguration of the Joint Steering Committee on National Housing Data, Dangiwa highlighted the absence of accurate and verifiable housing data as a significant barrier to effectively solving the country’s housing challenges.

Dangiwa emphasised that ensuring access to affordable and decent housing is essential not just for social responsibility but also as a catalyst for economic growth and poverty alleviation.

He noted that the lack of reliable data hinders the government’s ability to gauge the true scope of the housing deficit, plan for necessary resource allocation, and prioritize intervention areas.

“As a nation, we know we have a housing deficit, but without credible, scientific, and verifiable data, we cannot truly understand the magnitude of the problem or how to address it. This situation is unsustainable,” Dangiwa stated.

The Committee is tasked with creating a framework for the establishment of a National Housing Data Centre (NHDC), which will serve as a hub for accurate housing data and guide decision-making processes in the sector.

The Committee will also oversee the creation of frameworks for data collection, housing research, and the establishment of a mortgage exchange, all within a six-month timeline.

Dangiwa urged all committee members to prioritize this national assignment, as it is a key part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for housing and urban development.

The minister thanked stakeholders and emphasized that delivering on the committee’s mandate is crucial to setting a credible path forward for housing data acquisition and management in Nigeria.

The committee includes key figures such as Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary of FMHUD (Chair); Ojogun Tellson, Director-General of the National Population Commission; Yakubu Bello, A.G. Director of the Statistics Department at the Central Bank of Nigeria; Adeyemi Adeniran, Statistician General of the National Bureau of Statistics; Shehu Osidi, Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria; Oyetunde Ojo, Managing Director of the Federal Housing Authority; Abdul Mutallab Muktah, Managing Director of Family Homes Fund; Ebilate Mac-Yoroki, President of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Nigeria; Mohammed Bala, FMHUD’s DPRS; Akintoye Adeoye, President of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria; Kehinde Ogundimu, Managing Director of the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company; Festus Adebayo, CEO of the Housing Development Association of Nigeria; and Eno Obongha, President of the Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria.