The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, has called for practical and measurable action to ensure adequate housing for Nigerians and make the country’s cities safer, more liveable and resilient.
Darma said housing was fundamental to human dignity, family stability, health, productivity and economic development, stressing that access to decent and affordable accommodation must remain a priority of the Federal Government.
The minister spoke on Monday at the 2026 combined commemoration of World Habitat Day and World Cities Day in Abuja, held as part of the Urban October activities. He was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Abba Abdullahi.
The event was held under the themes “Adequate Housing for All” for World Habitat Day and “Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All” for World Cities Day.
Darma said adequate housing went beyond providing physical structures to ensuring that homes were affordable, safe and accessible, with secure tenure and access to infrastructure, transportation, employment and essential social services.
He identified high interest rates, inadequate long-term funding, stringent eligibility requirements and low mortgage penetration as major obstacles to homeownership in Nigeria.
To address these challenges, he said the ministry was strengthening the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company and other financial institutions to expand access to housing finance through National Housing Fund-linked mortgages, rent-to-own arrangements and outright purchase schemes.
He added that financing mechanisms must accommodate the needs of civil servants, young professionals, artisans, traders and informal-sector workers.
On housing delivery, the minister said the Federal Government was implementing the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with a target of delivering 100,000 housing units across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He cited ongoing projects in Karsana, Abuja, Lagos, Kano and other states, as well as the groundbreaking of the 250-unit Renewed Hope Civil Service Estate at Dukpa, Gwagwalada, in August 2026.
On urban regeneration, Darma disclosed that the ministry had delivered more than 240 urban renewal and slum-upgrading projects nationwide, with over 100 others at various stages of implementation.
He stressed that such interventions must be inclusive and people-centred, warning against the unnecessary displacement of existing residents.
“Existing residents should not be unnecessarily displaced, and communities must participate in identifying their development priorities,” he said.
The minister also called for the integration of drainage systems, flood management, urban greenery, waste management and energy-efficient designs into urban regeneration projects to improve environmental sustainability and strengthen cities’ resilience.
He further highlighted the ongoing review of the National Building Code, promotion of local building-materials manufacturing hubs, development of a National Housing Data Bank and the use of transparent and accountable public-private partnerships that prioritise affordability.
Darma urged state and local governments, financial institutions, private developers, professional bodies, development partners and communities to collaborate with the Federal Government to expand access to adequate housing and improve urban settlements.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building cities where housing was affordable, neighbourhoods were liveable, infrastructure was resilient and opportunities were accessible to all.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, said the challenge was not merely to build more houses but to ensure that Nigerians had access to affordable, adequate and serviced housing in well-planned communities.
Ata, who was represented by the Special Assistant on International Cooperation and Partnerships, Tpl Edna Deimi Tobi, said the ministry was expanding housing supply and financing through the Renewed Hope Housing Programme and public-private partnerships.
He encouraged state governments to support the initiatives by providing land and infrastructure, while emphasising the need for safeguards against displacement in urban regeneration projects.
The minister of state also acknowledged the continued support of UN-Habitat and called for greater cooperation among governments, private-sector operators and communities to address Nigeria’s housing challenges.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, described Urban October as a UN-Habitat initiative that provides a platform for examining the challenges and opportunities arising from rapidly changing cities and towns.
Belgore, represented by the Director of Urban and Regional Development, Tpl Magaret Adejobi, said the annual initiative begins with World Habitat Day and concludes with World Cities Day on October 31.
He said the ministry remained committed to policies and programmes aimed at expanding access to decent and affordable housing, improving urban infrastructure and promoting sustainable human settlements.
According to him, the scale of the challenges requires coordinated action through effective policies, integrated urban planning, innovative housing finance and stronger collaboration among public and private institutions, professional bodies, development partners and citizens.
In a goodwill message, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described adequate housing as the foundation of dignity, security and opportunity, but noted that more than three billion people worldwide were still denied the universal human right to adequate housing.
Guterres, represented by Niina Ronnie, Head of Office, Technical Adviser and representative of the UN-Habitat Country Office, called for coordinated action at national and local levels, supported by bold policies, reliable data and reforms to international financing.
He urged governments and other stakeholders to treat housing as a public good to ensure that everyone had a place to call home.
