ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has taken a step toward addressing Nigeria’s long-standing housing deficit by institutionalising comprehensive housing data collection and analysis.
Housing Minister, Architect Ahmed Dangiwa presented the findings of the National Housing Data Initiative (NHD) in Abuja on Tuesday, revealing that approximately 15.2 million housing units across the country are structurally inadequate. The disclosure marks a shift in how the government quantifies the housing crisis, moving beyond the traditional focus on the number of units needed to a more detailed assessment of the quality of existing structures.
Speaking at the event, the minister said: “The figure of 15.2 million inadequate housing units is derived from harmonised methodologies, including the Adequate Housing Index. This is not just about building new homes; it is about ensuring that the homes Nigerians already live in meet basic standards of safety, durability, and comfort.”
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has pledged to continue refining its data collection processes and to use the findings to shape future housing programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda. The ministry is now calling for collaboration with state governments, development partners, and the private sector to address the scale of the crisis revealed by the new statistics.
Nigeria identifies 15.2 million structurally inadequate housing units, marking a shift toward quality-based housing assessment, the Federal Ministry of Housing says.
Housing Minister Ahmed Dangiwa says the data, derived from the National Housing Data Initiative, goes beyond unit shortages to assess safety and habitability. “This is about ensuring homes meet basic standards,” Mr Dangiwa says.
