The Senate has confirmed Dr Muttaqha Darma as Minister of Housing and Urban Development, with a strong mandate to confront the country’s deepening housing challenges, revive abandoned federal estates and push long-delayed mortgage and urban planning reforms.

This was as the outgoing minister, Ahmed Dangiwa, expressed optimism about the future of the country’s housing and urban development sector.

Darma’s confirmation followed a screening session in which lawmakers, while endorsing his nomination, shifted focus to what they described as urgent structural failures in the housing sector.

President Bola Tinubu had earlier submitted Darma’s nomination to the Senate under Section 147(2) of the Constitution, prompting the red chamber’s consideration.

The motion for his confirmation was moved by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), after which the chamber resolved into the Committee of the Whole for detailed examination.

Rather than a routine approval process, the session evolved into a policy-driven engagement, with senators outlining key expectations for the incoming minister.

Lawmakers highlighted abandoned housing estates across the country, weak mortgage penetration, and persistent distortions in the Abuja Master Plan as priority areas requiring immediate intervention.

Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno North) described housing as central to economic stability and social welfare, urging the minister to prioritise solutions to Nigeria’s widening housing deficit and the rising pressure on cities.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) drew attention to pension funds, questioning why trillions of naira in retirement savings have not translated into wider access to affordable housing for contributors. He urged stronger collaboration between housing and financial institutions to unlock long-term mortgage financing.

Senator Babangida Hussaini (APC, Jigawa North-West) raised concern over abandoned federal housing projects, noting that many estates across the country remain unoccupied, poorly maintained or vandalised due to weak allocation and management systems. He called for urgent steps to recover and put such assets into productive use.

Responding, Darma acknowledged the scale of Nigeria’s housing deficit, describing it as a long-standing structural challenge requiring coordinated reforms across financing, planning, and implementation. He pledged to prioritise the rehabilitation and effective utilisation of abandoned housing estates nationwide, while improving coordination among relevant agencies to prevent further waste of public infrastructure.

On mortgage reform, he promised to work with financial regulators, pension administrators, and development institutions to expand access to affordable housing finance and strengthen home-ownership pathways for Nigerians.

In his closing remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged the new minister to translate policy commitments into measurable outcomes, stressing that the housing sector sits at the centre of national welfare and economic stability.
DANGIWA, during his handover ceremony in Abuja, explained that he was confident that even greater strides would be made in the housing industry and urged all stakeholders to sustain the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and service to the nation.

He added, “Together, we have laid foundations that I am confident will continue to yield positive outcomes for our nation. As I hand over the affairs of the ministry today, I warmly welcome and extend my best wishes to the incoming minister, whom I have personally known to be a seasoned technocrat and an engineer by profession.”

The outgoing minister urged all staff and stakeholders to accord his successor the same level of cooperation, dedication, loyalty and support that he enjoyed, while paying tribute to the President for choosing him to serve the country in that capacity as a key player.