Stakeholders have called for the establishment of a National Housing Data Centre to centralise land, housing, and finance statistics for evidence-based policymaking.
They also made case for the creation of a National Artisan and Housing Skills Activation Programme to strengthen capacity and improve construction quality nationwide, as well as expansion of the MOFI Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF) and blending of public and private capital to strengthen mortgage development.
The stakeholders, who were participants at the 19th Africa International Housing Show (AIHS) in Abuja, urged the Federal Government to recapitalise and strengthen the regulation of Primary Mortgage Banks and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to widen access to affordable housing finance.
In a communiqué, the forum recommended a coordinated housing governance structure to streamline agency roles and improve implementation, adoption of incremental housing and innovative financing models such as non-interest mortgages, rent-to-own schemes, and diaspora-targeted loans.
They also proposed digitisation of land registries and deployment of GIS-based systems to enhance transparency, speed up transactions, and unlock dormant land value, integration of local manufacturers into the housing value chain through SME financing, tax incentives, and technical training to reduce building costs.
Other proposals included streamlining land titling, transferring mortgage disputes to specialised financial tribunals, and promoting adaptive reuse models for slum regeneration and the revitalisation of public assets. They stressed gender inclusion in housing policy, design, finance, and leadership roles, while urging state governments to revive housing corporations and provide essential infrastructure such as roads, water, and electricity in underserved areas.
Chairman of the event and former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Jerry Gana, expressed concern over the persistent housing crisis, blaming high interest rates, inflation (23.71 per cent in April), and currency devaluation for soaring construction costs and making mortgages inaccessible to over 90 per cent of Nigerian workers.
He urged urgent measures to stabilise the economy, reduce reliance on imported building materials, and promote “Made in Nigeria” housing solutions by establishing manufacturing hubs in all six geopolitical zones to cut costs, boost local production, and create jobs.
Gana stressed that housing plays a critical role in social stability and national security, noting that inadequate housing deepens inequality, unemployment, and insecurity, while adequate housing fosters prosperity. He commended the Federal Government for initiatives to boost housing affordability, especially the planned recapitalisation of the FMBN from N2.5 billion to N500 billion to expand access to long-term housing finance.
