The Federal Government has announced plans to increase the housing supply through the construction of at least 20,000 housing units yearly.

The government has also commenced the implementation of reforms and initiatives that will rewrite the housing and urban landscape, such as the establishment of a National Social Housing Fund to ensure access to decent housing for low and no-income earners, underprivileged and IDPs (internally Displaced Persons).

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, who spoke at the 2024 yearly Registered Quantity Surveyors Assembly organised by the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN) in Abuja, said government is rapidly reforming the federal housing institutions like the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF) to enhance their efficiency and capacity.

Dangiwa said that the country is facing a dual challenge of inadequate housing supply to meet population growth and sub-standard housing which does not meet the conditions of habitability, safety & security, comfort, sanitation, accessibility, infrastructure, social amenities, and socio-cultural adequacy as set out by UN and World Health Organisation (WHO).

The minister observed that a land reforms task team had been established to develop a blueprint that would aid the sustainable implementation of much-needed reforms necessary for streamlining land administration and ensuring easy, cost-effective and efficient access to land in Nigeria.

According to him, the task team is to develop a robust framework for ensuring that housing agencies under the supervision of the ministry are optimised to deliver effectively on the government’s vision for the provision of quality, decent and affordable homes to Nigerians.

The minister stated that there is an ongoing establishment of private sector-led local building materials manufacturing clusters in each geo-political zone and the establishment of a mortgage registry to facilitate property transactions.

He said: “We are developing fiscal incentives for private investors to manufacture local building components, expansion and Implementation of a National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme, implementation of a National Artisan Skill Acquisition Programme (NASAP) to boost artisanal skills, create jobs and alleviate poverty”.

“The building materials manufacturing hubs task team’s job is to conduct a thorough assessment of the current state of the building materials manufacturing sector in Nigeria, including existing facilities, capacities, and key players.”

He noted that the present administration is combining urban renewal or housing upgrade schemes and the building of new houses as part of our strategies to address these problems.

On his part, QSRBN President, Obafemi Onashile, observed that the contribution of quantity surveyors to the economy is exponential compared to the compensation and decried the non-involvement of members in the execution of government projects.

“One of the major challenges facing professional bodies in the construction industry is the lack of patronage and non-involvement of our members of quantity surveyors in government projects.

We believe that this is not only a deficiency to quantity surveyors but even to other professionals in the construction industry.

“There is a perceived lack of full understanding of the importance of quantity surveyors’ contribution to the economy of the country and that’s one of the reasons we have chosen the theme for this year’s yearly assembly to showcase the capacity and capabilities of quantity surveyors in contributing to the economy.”