FG moves to validate national housing data, unveil housing sector reforms

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Federal Government has begun the final validation of Nigeria’s national housing data and a set of far reaching policy reforms aimed at overhauling the housing sector, strengthening regulation, protecting homebuyers and expanding access to affordable housing.

This was contained statement signed and issued by,Director Press and Public Relations, Badamasi Haiba.

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Dr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, disclosed this in Abuja during a national stakeholders’ validation workshop, describing the exercise as the last stage before the proposed policies are submitted to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval.

The development was contained in a statement issued by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Badamasi Haiba.

According to the Minister, the workshop provides the final opportunity for stakeholders to scrutinise and shape the proposed National Housing and Built Environment Regulation Policy and the National Mortgage Industry Policy before they become government policy.

“This gathering is not a ceremony. It is the last door these policies pass through before the Federal Executive Council. What you say here will change what I carry to Council. I am not asking for applause. I am asking you to be critical,” Darma said.

He noted that although the real estate sector has become one of Nigeria’s strongest economic drivers, it continues to operate without a comprehensive regulatory framework.

Darma said that following the rebasing of the economy, real estate services now contribute about 13.4 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), representing approximately N41 trillion, while the real estate and construction sectors jointly contributed more than N77 trillion to the economy in 2025.

Despite the sector’s economic significance, he observed that millions of Nigerians remain exposed to fraudulent housing transactions, failed developments, poor consumer protection and weak mortgage access.

To address these challenges, the Minister said the proposed National Housing and Built Environment Regulation Policy seeks to introduce compulsory licensing for developers and estate agents, escrow protection for homebuyers’ funds, improved construction standards, stronger professional regulation, better land administration, urban renewal without displacement and the establishment of a National Housing Data Observatory.

He added that the policy also proposes the establishment of a National Housing Industry Regulatory Commission to strengthen oversight of the sector.

Darma said the proposed National Mortgage Industry Policy would establish a National Housing Finance Authority, reform the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), expand access to the National Housing Fund (NHF) for workers in the informal sector and create a stronger framework for diaspora housing investment.

The Minister also announced that the Technical Committee adopted internationally recognised methodologies, including the World Bank Adequate Housing Index and the UN-Habitat Household Crowding Index, to determine a core national housing deficit of about 15 million units.

He urged stakeholders to rigorously examine the methodology, stressing that credible housing data remains the foundation for effective planning, sound policy formulation and informed investment decisions.

Drawing lessons from international best practice, Darma cited Dubai’s housing reforms, including compulsory escrow accounts and developer licensing, as measures that strengthened investor confidence and transformed its property market. He said Nigeria must pursue similar reforms to improve transparency, protect homebuyers and attract greater investment into the sector.

Stakeholders at the workshop were drawn from the Federal and State Governments, the World Bank, the National Population Commission (NPC), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), professional and regulatory bodies, financial institutions, developers, academia and the media.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, said the validation workshop was convened to review two critical national initiativesthe National Housing Data Programme and the Regulation of the Built Environment.

Belgore, who chairs the 13-member National Housing Data Steering Committee, said unreliable housing data and weak regulatory enforcement have continued to undermine planning, investment and housing quality, urging stakeholders to work together to strengthen the sector through credible data and effective regulation.

Also speaking, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Regional Planning and Urban Development, Hon. Dr. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, stressed that sustainable housing reforms must be anchored on reliable, homegrown data, pledging the National Assembly’s support for initiatives that will improve urban planning and housing delivery.

Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Shehu Usman Osidi, announced that the Bank has completed the development of the National Mortgage Registry, a central digital repository for mortgage transactions nationwide.

He said the registry is ready for deployment following stakeholder engagement, data collection, cleansing and validation, adding that it will improve transparency, strengthen risk management and boost confidence in Nigeria’s mortgage system.