Experts and stakeholders in Nigeria’s housing sector have canvassed reforms in the country’s land administration system, and also the recapitalisation and regulatory strengthening of Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to expand access to affordable housing finance.
The experts, who spoke at the Africa International Housing Show (AIHS) in Abuja, explained that such reforms are critical to tackling the country’s housing deficit, unlocking capital, and accelerating national development.
They also reasoned that increasing the capital base of both the PMBs and FMBN will, in turn, increase the chances of homebuyers obtaining housing loans easily and affordably.
AIHS, now in its 19th edition, is an annual gathering of virtually all housing sector stakeholders in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital, to brainstorm on issues affecting the sector and proffer solutions. It also provides a platform for manufacturers and vendors to showcase the latest innovations in construction materials.
The event, which has Festus Adebayo, a barrister and frontline advocate for affordable housing delivery, as convener and chief host, draws participants from government ministries, policy makers, mortgage operators, developers, among others, from across Africa and beyond.
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Olurotimi Kemiki of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA), in his lead paper on ‘Land as the Foundation: Unlocking Housing, Finance, and Development,’ highlighted the central role of land in national development, noting that while laws recognise “landlocked” situations, there is no legal provision for “house-locked” or “office-locked.”
He contended that land remains the backbone of housing and broader economic growth, calling for reforms to bridge gaps in ownership, registration, and documentation. “Effective land governance must be prioritised if Nigeria is to achieve sustainable housing delivery,” he stated.
Ugochukwu Chime, Chairman of Copen Group and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN), pointed out the disconnect between policy and implementation in land management at both national and subnational levels.
Chime, who was a panel discussant at the event, lamented the lengthy and costly process of securing land titles, which, according to him, discourages private sector investment in housing.
He canvassed policy frameworks that not only support private sector involvement but also enable state governments to appreciate the economic benefits of efficient land monetisation.
In the same vein, Collins Alabi, Director at the Department of Lands and Housing Development at the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (FMHUD), emphasised the importance of proper spatial and land-use planning to maximise the value of land assets.
Overall, these experts were of the view that Nigeria’s land administration is hindered by outdated laws, bureaucratic bottlenecks, poor coordination between federal and state authorities, and weak technological adoption.
They called for a coordinated national reform effort involving all tiers of government, private sector players, and development partners such as the World Bank.
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Key priorities, they said, should include modernising the Land Use Act to reflect current realities, digitising and decentralising land registration, cutting transaction costs and timelines, and creating sustainable funding models for large-scale land reforms.
In the communique issued at the well-attended event, the participants urged all concerned, particularly governments at both national and subnational levels, to promote the adoption of incremental housing and innovative financing models such as non-interest mortgages, rent-to-own, and diaspora-targeted loans.
They also urged integration of local manufacturers into the housing value chain by providing SME financing, tax incentives, and technical training to reduce construction costs, adding that the housing governance structure should be coordinated to streamline responsibilities across agencies and improve implementation efficiency.
The conference advocated the expansion of the MOFI Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF) and structured blending of public and private sector capital to support mortgage development
Support for the immediate rollout of the National Housing Data Centre to centralise land, housing, and finance statistics and drive evidence-based policy decisions was also canvassed, just as it recommended the establishment of a National Artisan and Housing Skill Activation Programme to build capacity and improve construction quality across all states.
