Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has advocated for stronger land, mortgage and institutional systems to accelerate inclusive housing delivery across Nigeria. This was contained in a statement signed by Badamasi S. Haiba, Fsca, mnipr, Director, Press and Public Relations.
This is the key message at the ongoing 15th meeting of the National Council on Land, Housing and Urban Development (NCLHUD), holding in Sokoto , October 12th – 16th, 2026
Under the theme: “Strengthening Mortgage, Land and Institutional Systems for Accelerated and Inclusive Housing Delivery.”, the meeting is a gathering of stakeholders in the built environment from both Federal and States , including professional and regulatory bodies in the housing sector.
In his introductory remarks, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics of the Ministry,. Mukhtar Iliyasu Umar, noted that the Council provides an important platform for stakeholders to examine challenges in the housing sector and develop practical solutions to improve housing delivery nationwide.
He stated that the meeting is convening a three-stage deliberation process for the consideration, harmonisation and adoption of policy recommendations aimed at addressing critical challenges in Nigeria’s housing and urban development sector.
He emphasised the importance of each stage of the deliberations, noting that the quality of the final decisions would depend largely on the depth of technical analysis, the quality of recommendations and the effectiveness of the harmonisation process.
In his opening remarks, Sokoto State Commissioner for Lands, Housing, Survey and Country Planning, Barrister Nasiru Aliyu Dantsoho, said the theme was strategically chosen to ensure that housing policies are designed to promote access to decent and affordable housing for every citizen.
He expressed concern over Nigeria’s housing deficit, estimated at over 14.5 million units, noting that approximately 50.6 million people live in unsafe housing conditions. Describing the situation as worrisome, Dantsoho called for urgent and sustained interventions to address the country’s housing challenges.
Accordingly, the Commissioner advocated a reduction in mortgage interest rates from the current double-digit levels to single-digit rates, as well as an extension of mortgage repayment periods from 25 to 35 years, saying that the measures would make mortgage repayments more affordable and improve access to homeownership for Nigerians.
He also called for the expansion of mortgage financing beyond the formal public and private sectors to accommodate Nigerians in the informal sector, particularly traders, farmers, and other self-employed individuals who constitute a significant proportion of the population but are often excluded from existing housing finance policies.
Bar Dantsoho further urged financial institutions, including the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), to provide adequate funding and introduce flexible repayment arrangements tailored to the income patterns of different categories of borrowers.
He emphasised the importance of digitising land administration systems across the states to enhance efficiency, promote transparency, and facilitate access to land for housing development.
On his part, the permanent Secretary, Sokoto state ministry of lands and housing, Engr. Ahmad Moyi Tambuwal highlighted the state’s ongoing efforts to improve land administration, including the digitisation of land records, reduction in the time required to process Certificates of Occupancy and the provision of land for mass housing projects under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Housing Programme.
He noted that ” the delivery of adequate and affordable housing requires more than the construction of houses. It also depends on efficient land administration, accessible mortgage finance, effective policies and stronger collaboration among government institutions and private-sector stakeholders”
NCLHUD is a forum for participants to share experiences, harmonise policies, identify institutional gaps and develop practical recommendations that would improve land administration, expand access to housing finance and accelerate housing delivery across the country.
Participants at the meeting were encouraged to develop recommendations that address pressing challenges in land administration, housing finance, institutional coordination and sustainable urban development across the country.
The reports and recommendations from the technical sessions will be harmonised for consideration at subsequent stages of the Council meeting.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the housing sector and promoting accessible, affordable and inclusive housing for Nigerians. It expressed confidence that the collective contributions of participants would provide a sound foundation for meaningful deliberations and effective decisions by the Council.
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