Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Targets Increased Private Sector Investment for Effective Housing Delivery

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has reiterated the need for increased private sector investment in the housing and urban sector in a bid to better deliver on the Renewed Hope mandate. Delivering the Keynote address during the 2023 Urban October event held at the Conference Hall of the Federal Ministry of Works on Tuesday 31st October 2023, Hon. Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Engr Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo noted that the challenges in the sector are huge and requires increased public-private collaboration to address.

 

Engr Gwarzo acknowledged the impact of rapid urbanisation on development, noting that urban dwellers now account for more than 50% of Nigeria’s population and are expected to increase to 60% by 2030, thereby requiring adequate preparations in the form of urban planning and management to cater to the expected upsurge of population in towns and cities. “We must build the needed resilience and innovations to absorb the expected shocks. As the world builds and consolidates the foundation of the New Urban Agenda, urgent steps are required to rectify past imperfections by recognizing fully that development is an evolutionary assignment that cannot be entirely resolved by one agency acting alone.

 

“We envisage an urban future where economic growth and prosperity proceed with equity; one where human exploitation of the natural environment is carried on sustainably; and one where poverty and inequality are attenuated by strong human centred policies,” he said. The Minister of State further recognised the lack of sustainable development financing which is required to achieve the SDGs, including eradicating poverty, and addressing climate change and pollution, noting that government alone cannot handle financing for housing and urban development.

 

“The Ministry intends to leverage multi-stakeholders and institutional engagements and collaborations to actualise the provision of adequate and affordable housing in both urban and rural areas in secure, healthy, and decent environments for all Nigerians. That is our primary mandate and is one of the cardinal focuses of the present administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. We, therefore, call for private sector investments in the sector by leveraging on the Ministry’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement already in place to mobilise financing for affordable housing and urban development. We equally welcome international development partners and other stakeholders’ collaboration in this regard,” Gwarzo added.

Urban October is marked to commemorate the World Habitat Day and World Cities Day, both celebrated in October. Tuesday’s event was heralded by streamed remarks by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres and the UN-Habitat Executive Director, Maimunah Mohd Sharif. It also featured addresses by heads of federal housing agencies like the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Madu Hamman and Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Sen. Gbenga Ashafa. Also present were the President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Nathaniel Atebije; and representatives of Shelter Afrique Development Bank, and the Millard Fuller Foundation.

 

The Ministry adopted the global themes; “Resilient Urban Economies: Cities as Drivers of Growth and Recovery” and “Financing Sustainable Urban Future for All”, in solidarity with UN-Habitat and other organisations at the forefront of urban advocacies. Engr Gwarzo noted that while the government may not have sufficient financing to address the challenges of housing and urbanisation, efforts are already in place to create the enabling environment for private sector investments, including addressing the challenges of land administration, unbundling the titling processes, generating credible data to aid planning, and establishing Building Materials Manufacturing Hubs across the nation.

 

Earlier in his goodwill message, the FHA Managing Director called for an inclusive approach to ensure that resolutions reached at the event will be implemented in a synergised manner. “The time is now for us to make our environment more habitable, secure and environmentally sustainable. The recent development in our nation’s housing industry has clearly shown that we have a federal government that has a clearly defined blueprint that is in tandem with the policies of the UN-Habitat. Efforts must be made to build new cities and regenerate old ones. Through this, not only will we provide houses to our people, we will also deliver more liveable and secure environment to them,” he said.