The Federal Government has renewed its commitment to reducing Nigeria’s housing deficit through the rehabilitation and completion of abandoned housing projects across the country.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqa Rabe Darma, made the pledge during an inspection visit to an abandoned estate developed under the National Housing Programme in the Kubwa-Karsana District of the Federal Capital Territory.
Darma said the government would prioritise the completion and utilisation of existing public housing investments rather than allowing them to remain abandoned and deteriorate over time.
According to him, all viable government-owned housing projects that have been left incomplete will be rehabilitated, upgraded and delivered to Nigerians under the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda.
He stressed that public infrastructure financed with taxpayers’ resources must be put to productive use and made available to citizens in need of affordable housing.
The minister noted that the initiative forms part of broader efforts to expand housing access, stimulate construction activity and address the country’s growing accommodation challenges before the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, the Housing Development Advocacy Network has called for deeper reforms in Nigeria’s mortgage sector to improve access to housing finance.
The group proposed the establishment of a national mortgage guarantee and inclusion framework involving key institutions such as the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company, Family Homes Fund Limited, commercial banks and primary mortgage banks.
According to the organisation, a coordinated mortgage system is necessary to support both salaried workers and individuals operating within the informal economy who often struggle to access housing finance.
Stakeholders maintain that improving mortgage accessibility alongside the completion of abandoned housing projects could significantly enhance home ownership opportunities and contribute to narrowing Nigeria’s housing deficit.
