FG targets 15,000 homes in three months to cut deficit

… plans PPPs to scale housing delivery

The Federal Government says more than 15,000 housing units could be ready for occupation within the next three months as it ramps up efforts to scale housing delivery through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and expand home ownership across the country.

Muttaqha Darma, minister of housing and urban development, disclosed this on Tuesday at the second edition of the Renewed Hope Housing Public-Private Partnership Summit in Abuja.

Darma said the summit’s resolutions would shape the ministry’s strategic framework for housing delivery and economic growth, adding that the roadmap was developed following consultations with agencies and departments under the ministry.

“Whatever plan we come up with, we will pursue diligently to ensure that it delivers meaningful results for Nigerians,” he said.

The minister said housing projects in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos; Lambu, Kano; and Karsana, Abuja, would be commissioned by President Bola Tinubu upon completion.

According to him, the government intends to scale up housing delivery nationwide through sustainable PPP frameworks, innovative financing models and broader stakeholder participation.

“This would ensure that thousands of Nigerians would soon become homeowners, with roofs over their heads as these housing projects continue to expand nationwide,” he said.

Darma noted that ongoing projects had created jobs for artisans, engineers, contractors and suppliers, while also stimulating economic activity in host communities.

He further disclosed that the ministry, working with the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, is delivering 1,550 housing units for military personnel to improve their welfare and living conditions.

Related News

While acknowledging progress recorded so far, the minister stressed the importance of completing all ongoing projects within set timelines and according to required standards.

“We remain fully committed to the timely completion and commissioning of all ongoing Renewed Hope Housing Projects across the country,” he said.

Darma urged financial institutions to design more flexible and accessible mortgage products that reflect local realities, while calling on state governments to provide land and create enabling environments for housing development.

The minister also revealed plans to begin nationwide assessments next week to verify the availability and readiness of completed housing units.

According to him, over 15,000 housing units are expected to be available for occupation within the next three months.

“I’ve been made to understand that more than 15,000 units of houses are now available to Nigerians. Now, in the next three months, if what I’ve been told is true, I assure Nigerians that 15,000 houses or more than 15,000 houses will be available for occupation by Nigerian families,” he said.

Using an average family size of four, Darma estimated that the housing delivery could provide shelter for more than 60,000 previously unhoused Nigerians.

“And that means over 60,000 unhoused members of families, unhoused individuals, taking an average of four people per family, father, mother, and two children, will be housed in the next three months,” he added.

He said the ministry would physically inspect housing projects across the country to ensure the units are ready and not merely existing on paper.

“We will move by next week, and we’ll begin to assess the availability of these 15,000 houses. I’ll move from place to place and make sure that these 15,000 houses are there and not just on paper,” he said.

Earlier, Shuaib Belgore, permanent secretary of the ministry, said the summit’s theme, “From Policy to Projects,” would focus on execution bottlenecks, including project financing, land access and partnerships needed to deliver housing at scale.

Belgore also commended the minister for sustaining the summit despite the recent leadership transition in the ministry.