Housing Ministry Advances Its Digital Transition, Distributes Laptops to Directors    * It's our efforts to boost service delivery, compliance with OHCSF reforms  - Belgore   In a renewed push for public service reform and a paperless government, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has rolled out laptops to Directors to fast-track full deployment of its Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system.   The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, handed over 30 units of Core i7 laptops systems to all Directors/Heads of Departments in the Ministy during Top Management meeting at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja.   The distribution forms part of the Ministry’s commitment to a continuous digitization  of official workflow, enhancing productivity, and ensuring seamless integration of the ECM platform across all departments.   Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Belgore emphasised that the initiative was in fulfillment of the earlier promise to provide the necessary digital working tools to enable Directors work efficiently both on-premise and remotely.   “The laptops are designed to empower Directors to effectively carry out their official duties anytime, anywhere, in line with the Ministry’s ECM deployment and the directive of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) on digitalisation of MDAs operations,” Dr. Belgore said.   The Permanent Secretary described the distribution of the laptops as an effort by the ministry to boost service delivery and compliance with the OHCSF reforms and strategy initiatives.    Configured by the Ministry’s ICT Department, the laptops come pre-installed with office suite applications and smart security solutions to support workflow automation and secure access to the ECM system.   Dr. Belgore also noted that this digital upgrade will significantly improve turnaround time, and enhance transparency and accountability in all official activities.   Earlier in his remarks, Dr. Amiolemen Marcus, Head of the ICT Department, disclosed that 90 desktop computer systems, similarly configured, will be distributed to departments and offices across the Ministry before the end of the week to further strengthen the ECM rollout.   Recalled that the ministry officially went live on the ECM platform on September 30th, 2025, marking a significant step forward in its digital transformation journey, and placing it among the pacesetters in the public service digitalisation initiative. ...

Service Delivery Awards: Dangiwa Urges Housing Ministry To Build On Momentum    * As Ministry won OHCSF, SERVICOM and Sporting Awards   Housing and Urban Development Minister,  Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has urged members of staff to build on the current momentum and strengthen the Ministry’s service culture in order to sustain its position as a reference point for excellence in public service delivery.   Dangiwa made the call against the backdrop of the various awards won by the ministry, including OHCF, SERVICOM and Sporting events.    The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, OON, received the HCSF "Go Live Category Award" for transiting his ministry to paperless operation.    Under Dr. Belgore, the ministry adopted the full implementation of the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) operations on the 30th of September 2025, signalling the departure from paper operations.   ECM, is a part of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP25), a reform blueprint designed to digitise the federal bureaucracy and transform the civil service into a world-class entity by 2025.   Other awards won by the housing ministry are; 2nd Best Ministerial SERVICOM Unit (Ministry Team A), Permanent Secretary's award  for strengthening Servivom operations across the ministry as a very supportive CEO.   The Head of the Ministry’s Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Mrs. Philips- Ogoniba Ibifuro  also received the 2025 Best NODAL Officer (Ministry Team A), for outstanding coordination, leadership, and dedication to service improvement. The Ministry’s sporting contingent  also won 10 medals at the recently concuded Federal Civil Games fedtival held in Yola, Adanawa state.   During a brief presentation of the awards to the leadership of the ministry, Minister Dangiwa congratulated the Permanent Secretary Dr Belgore,  the Ministry's Servicom Nodal officer, and members of the ministry's sporting contingent for the honours brought to the ministry.   He praised the Permanent Secretary’s leadership style, describing it as accountable, team-oriented, and result-driven, noting that the awards represent a win for the entire Ministry.   The Minister as well commended the Permanent Secretary for ensuring the smooth implementation of the paperless system in the Ministry, acknowledging the role of the ICT Department team in facilitating the transition alongside the efforts of the entire staff.   Similarly, Arc. Dangiwa applauded the Head of the Ministry’s Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Mrs. Philips- Ogoniba Ibifuro for her SERVICOM’s 2025 Best NODAL Officer award, recognizing her hardwork, professionalism and consistency in applying the SERVICOM principles in the Ministry.    The Minister expressed delight over the recognition of the Ministerial SERVICOM Unit as the second-best performing ministerial unit, describing the awards as a reminder that public service is fundamentally about the people being served.    “These awards remain with us and remind us that public service is about the people we serve, and that we must always strive to deliver services that are timely, transparent, and of good quality,” he said.   The Minister also congratulated the Ministry’s sports team, assuring them of the Ministry’s continued support, both financially and morally, in the coming year.   Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuiab Belgore, expressed appreciation to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for the Transformational CEO award, attributing the recognition to the collective support and commitment of the Ministry’s management and directors.    He also commended the Head of Reform and Coordination, Mrs. Phillips Ogoniba, for her outstanding contributions, describing her performance as a source of pride to the Ministry.   Belgore further acknowledged the Ministry’s sports team for winning ten medals comprising four golds, three bronze, and three silver, at the Federal Civil Service Games (FEPSGA). He also applauded the ICT Department for driving ECM compliance, noting that improved inter-departmental collaboration has enhanced efficiency across the Ministry.   On her part, the Head of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Mrs. Philips- Ogoniba dedicated the awards to the leadership of the Ministry, particularly the Honourable Minister and the Permanent Secretary, as well as members of the Ministerial SERVICOM Committee and staff, whose collective efforts and teamwork, she noted, made the achievement possible.   She reaffirmed the resolve of the Department to sustain and deepen ongoing reforms aimed at improving service standards, responsiveness, and accountability. ...

Housing Ministry Advances Efforts to Institutionalise Housing Data, Reveals 15.2 Million Inadequate Units  The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has disclosed that approximately 15.2 million housing units across Nigeria are structurally inadequate, highlighting a critical dimension of the country’s housing challenge beyond the construction of new homes. The disclosure was made by the Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, during the presentation of the National Housing Data Initiative (NHD) by the National Housing Data Technical Committee at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Abuja.  The Committee was established in August 2024 to develop a harmonised national framework for housing data to support evidence-based housing policy, planning, and investment. According to the Minister, the findings confirm that Nigeria’s housing challenge is both quantitative and qualitative, with national housing deficit estimates varying depending on data sources and methodological approaches. “Beyond headline deficit figures, the application of harmonised and internationally recognised methodologies now allows us to state with clarity and confidence that Nigeria currently faces a housing inadequacy problem affecting approximately 15.2 million housing units nationwide,” the Minister said. The Minister explained that the 15.2 million inadequate housing units are homes that exist physically but fall below acceptable standards of safety, habitability, access to basic services, infrastructure, and durability. He noted that the findings were derived from the application of the Household Crowding Index, the Adequate Housing Index, and a Composite Index Methodology, supported by datasets from the National Population Commission (NPC), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other housing sector institutions. “These findings clearly demonstrate that Nigeria’s housing challenge is not only about building new houses,” the Minister stated, “but equally about upgrading existing housing stock, regenerating deteriorated neighbourhoods, improving basic services and infrastructure, and ensuring dignity, safety, and adequacy in housing outcomes.” While highlighting the importance of the findings, the Minister emphasised that housing inadequacy represents only one dimension of Nigeria’s broader housing deficit.  He stressed the need to sustain the same level of analytical clarity across other critical areas, including absolute housing shortages, affordability gaps, access to land and secure tenure, availability and cost of housing finance, infrastructure and service deficits, regional and urban–rural disparities, as well as population growth rates, urbanisation trends, household formation patterns, and demographic projections. According to him, a holistic examination of these dimensions is necessary to accurately assess current needs, anticipate future demand, and design sustainable and responsive housing policies. The Minister formally accepted the presentation and report of the National Housing Data Initiative on behalf of the Ministry, describing it as “a major intellectual, technical, and institutional milestone” in Nigeria’s housing and urban development reform journey. He further disclosed that the Federal Government has commenced steps to institutionalise housing data through the establishment of a National Housing Data Centre, which will be domiciled within the Ministry in the short term and institutionalised through a Special Purpose Vehicle or statutory framework in the longer term. According to the Minister, the proposed Centre will create a permanent national institution capable of supporting housing policy formulation, investment decisions, access to housing finance, and housing delivery at scale. The Honourable Minister commended the National Housing Data Technical Committee, led by Mr. Taofeeq Olatinwo, and acknowledged the contributions of participating institutions, including FMHUD, NMRC, NBS, NPC, CBN, FMBN, FHA, Family Homes Funds Limited, REDAN, AHCN, MBAN, HDAN, and other industry experts. He announced that all Committee members and participating institutions will be issued formal Letters of Participation and Recognition by the Ministry in acknowledgement of their contributions to the report and its outcomes. The Minister noted that the National Housing Data Initiative aligns fully with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and strengthens government’s capacity to support affordable and social housing delivery, deepen access to housing finance, improve investor confidence, stabilise housing markets, and monitor outcomes with credibility and accountability. Describing the presentation as a turning point in Nigeria’s housing reform journey, the Minister stressed that data is no longer peripheral to housing delivery but central to it. “With the National Housing Data Initiative, Nigeria is better positioned to plan more accurately, invest more confidently, and deliver housing more effectively and equitably for Nigerians,” he said. In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Shuab Belgore, said the report of the National Housing Data Committee would be published and circulated to all relevant agencies to formally legitimise the work carried out by the committee. He also directed the Department of Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) to follow up on the establishment of the Data Centre in the Ministry, as earlier recommended in the report, with a mandate to ensure it is ready by mid January, 2026. On his part, the Chairman of the National Housing Data Technical Committee, Taofeeq Olatinwo, noted that the housing deficit research involved the participation of various organisations, financial institutions, and industry experts, adding that the committee collaborated with the World Bank to ensure consistency and standardisation of the data. He explained the multidimensional index used in assessing key aspects of housing quality, including access to water, electricity, sanitation, and other basic services. He revealed that, based on the Adequate Housing Index, Nigeria’s housing deficit stands at 15.2 million units as of 2025, with Kano State recording the highest deficit and Bayelsa State the lowest. ...