From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
As part of measures to know the housing deficit and dilapidated structures in the country, the Federal Government, yesterday, inaugurated a joint steering committee on national housing data.
The committee is expected to find out the number of substandard housing that does not meet the conditions of habitability, safety and security; comfort, sanitation, accessibility, infrastructure, social amenities, and socio-cultural adequacy as set out by the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
While inaugurating the committee, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, said the lack of credible, scientific, and verifiable data on the state of housing in the country stands out as the most pressing and embarrassing.
“This is because, 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 whole host of other considerations.
“As you are all aware, 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.
“From the history and experiences of other countries, we see it is rare for any nation to grow, achieve peace, and enjoy stability without having a housing market that works efficiently and provides decent shelter for its citizens.
“All of us gathered here today are stakeholders in Nigeria’s housing industry. We all know where we stand as a country in terms of meeting the housing needs of Nigerians. We are far from where we should be in unleashing the sector’s potential as an enabler of economic growth,” the minister said.
According to Dangiwa, out of the many issues bedevilling the housing sector, lack of credible, scientific, and verifiable data on the state of housing in our country stands out as the most troubling challenge.
“For instance, we know we have a housing deficit and that we face the dual challenge of inadequate housing supply to meet population growth, but there is no industry-accepted data to illustrate this and guide the government, housing agencies, and financial institutions – both local and international – in planning and outlining strategies to fix Nigeria’s housing problem. What we have had over the decades are speculations and estimates,” he said.
To this effect, he submitted that lack of adequate housing data for development should be considered a national emergency.
“At the ministry, we consider this a national emergency for the housing sector, and as a government, we cannot allow it to continue,” he said, noting that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, for housing and urban development, fixing Nigeria’s housing data problem is a top priority. As the lead driver of Mr. President’s vision in the sector, we are committed to working with all stakeholders to tackle this problem,” Dangiwa said.
The minister said the committee was 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
Membership of the Joint steering committee includes representatives from: Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (chairman), National Population Commission; National Bureau of Statistics, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company,
Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Federal Housing Authority and Family Homes Funds Limited.
Others are Mortgage Bankers Association of Nigeria, Housing Development Association of Nigeria, Real Estate Developers’ Association of Nigeria and Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria.
The Joint Steering Committee will oversee all matters outlined in the terms of reference, including providing direction and oversight, monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the committee’s commitments, resolving issues, and making recommendations to facilitate the objectives of the partners. It will also provide a forum for the partners to exchange information, discuss best practices, including relevant guidance and input from external stakeholders, and address any other matters related to the strategic partnership among the partners.