By:Abdullahi Inuwa
Two years after his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinibu, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has emerged as one of the faces of the Renewed Hope Agenda, driving sweeping reforms that are reshaping Nigeria’s housing and urban development sector.
With a housing deficit of over 17 million units hanging over the country, Dangiwa has rolled out an ambitious Renewed Hope Housing Programme (REHHP), delivering more than 10,000 housing units across 14 states and the FCT in just two years—far surpassing the 3,500 units delivered in the previous eight years. Landmark projects include the 3,112-unit Karsana City in Abuja, a 2,000-unit mega city in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, and 1,500-unit and 500-unit estates in Kano, alongside several estates across 12 other states.
To tackle the decades-long neglect of slums, the National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme (NURSUP) has brought clean water, solar electricity, healthcare centres, and roads to over 150 communities.
The Ministry has also broken barriers in mortgage accessibility through reforms at the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), expanding single-digit mortgage loans, rent-to-own schemes, and mobilising over ₦70 billion in private capital.
For vulnerable Nigerians, the Renewed Hope Social Housing Programme aims to deliver 77,400 affordable homes nationwide—100 homes in each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas—expected to generate over 2 million jobs while stimulating local economies.
Another groundbreaking intervention is the Nigeria Land Titling and Registration Programme (Land4Growth), designed to unlock more than $300 billion in dormant land assets by digitising registries and streamlining approvals, a move that could fast-track President Tinibu’s $1 trillion GDP target.
Other key reforms include:
- National Housing Data Centre (NHDC): providing real-time housing and land data to guide policy and investments.
- Building Materials Hubs: planned in all six geo-political zones to reduce costs by 25% and boost local jobs.
- Housing Fraud Reporting Platform (HFRP): restoring trust in government-backed schemes.
- National Artisan Skills Acquisition Programme (NASAP–CraftHub): training thousands of young Nigerians in construction trades.
The Ministry has also attracted global partnerships, including financing agreements with Shelter Afrique Development Bank, technical support from UN-Habitat, and collaborations with the World Bank.
Reflecting on his two years in office, Dangiwa said:
“We are not just building houses; we are building hope, dignity, and prosperity for millions of Nigerians. And we are only just beginning.”
As he marks this milestone, Dangiwa’s reforms stand as a bold reset for Nigeria’s housing sector, positioning homeownership not as a dream, but as an achievable reality for every Nigerian.
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