Senate committee on housing and urban development will Assist in addressing Nigeria’s housing deficit – Tambuwal

Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the Senate Committee on Housing and Urban Development Chairman, has reiterated the Senate’s commitment to implementing the housing master plan across the country.

The former Sokoto State Governor gave the commitment on Thursday at the 12th National Council of Land, Housing and Urban Development meeting held at Shehu Yar’adua International Conference Centre, Kaduna.

The program themed: “Harnessing Local and International Credit Schemes as a Panacea for Affordable Housing Infrastructure Development under the Renewed Hope Agenda” had in attendance the Honourable Minister of Housing, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa and other important dignitaries.

Speaking at the occasion, Senator Tambuwal, the former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, identified the critical factors affecting the supply of housing units in Nigeria as epileptic financial system and slow administrative procedures.

He outlined other factors, including the high cost of land registration and titles, housing policies, building materials, and land acquisition.

According to him, in 1991, Nigeria’s housing deficit was at 7 million and rose to 12 million in 2007, 14 million in 2010, and 20 million units in 2018. In 2023, Nigeria has an estimated 28 million housing deficit.

To bridge this gap, Tambuwal said the Red Chamber committee would align with the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN’s recommendation of supplying 1,000,000 housing units each year as against the current 100,000.

“If we must meet up with the 2033 housing projection,” he stated.

Tambuwal, however, promised that his committee would strengthen its oversight function by working hand in hand with the National Council of Land, Housing and Urban Development to implement the housing master plan.