Nigeria Leading at UN-Habitat Executive Board    Today, ahead of the 2025 First Session of the UN-Habitat Executive Board (March 25–27) in Nairobi, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, met with the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ms. Anaclaudia Rossbach.     Dr. Belgore is representing the Hon. Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, who is the current Chair of the UN-Habitat Executive Board, and will chair the 3-day meeting of the 36-member Executive Board—the key body driving global efforts for sustainable and inclusive cities.     The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the UN’s lead agency for sustainable urban development. It supports member states in advancing policies and programs that promote inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities, ensuring adequate shelter and basic services for all.     As Chair of the Executive Board, Nigeria is playing a pivotal role in shaping global urban development policies.   ...

FG Partnes World Bank On Land Reforms,  Administration Challenges   * Aims to increase land registration process from less than 10% to over 50% in the next 10 years    * State governments key partners in achieving specific goals - Dangiwa   The Federal government of Nigeria is set to intensify engagements with the World Bank to implement reforms that would unlock the potentials of Nigeria’s landed assets through the National Land Registration, Documentation, and Titling Programme (NLRDP)    The Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa disclosed this at the workshop on National Land Registration and Documentation Programme (NLRDP), held on Wednesday March 19, 2025, in Abuja.   He decried the long standing challenges Nigeria has faced in land governance which includes; inefficient property registration process which has resulted in less than 10% of land registration in Nigeria, lack of a systematic and credible, framework to identify property ownership, interests, and location, lack of essential infrastructure, Inadequate data for effective land valuation in both urban and rural areas, among others.    The Minister outlined the  frameworks devised by the Ministry in collaboration with the State governments to address the challenges to include;  registration, documentation, titling of all land parcels to unlock Nigeria’s dead capital, developing a National Digital Land Information System, formalizing land transactions from less than 10% to over 50% in the next 10 years.   He also spoke about Plans to train and deploy technical competence in land administration officers nationwide, emphasizing on collaboration between federal and state governments to establish a uniform framework.   To achieve these objectives, Arc. Dangiwa informed that the Ministry in 2024, solicited the partnership of the World Bank, pointing out that the Bank’s recent technical mission provided invaluable insights into the current state of land administration in Nigeria;    “The findings and recommendations from this mission will serve as the foundation for the discussions and action plans emerging from this workshop”, he said. Accordingly, The Minister acknowledged that the World Bank's technical capacity, global best practices, and financial resources were crucial for addressing Nigeria's land governance challenges.   He noted that a key topic to be discussed at the workshop;   "The Implementation of Systematic Land Titling and Registration (SLTR)," would address  the current land administration process which is  outdated and expensive, leading to less than 10% of the entire land in the country being unregistered since 1883.   “The SLTR allows a systematic identification, demarcation and adjudication of every aspect of land within a jurisdiction in the presence and concurrence of the adjoining parcel owners”, he explained.   He also emphasized on the need to build upon the exhaustive and comprehensive work done by the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reforms (PTCLR ). Accordingly,  he mentioned the significance of  legitimizing Systematic Land Titling and Registration under the framework of the Land Use Act (LUA), informing that the Presidential Technical Committee developed land regulations, which included provisions for the STLR.   Dangiwa further informed that the regulations were endorsed by the National Economic Council in May 2017, adding that it was awaiting the approval of the National Council of State. Similarly, Arc. Dangiwa noted that  another key area for discussion is the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and  digital tools in modernizing land administration, highlighting these technologies enhance accuracy, efficiency, and transparency in land registration.   The Minister as well hinted on adopting Public- Private Partnership in land registration and digitization,  emphasizing PPPs plays significant  role in  mobilizing resources and expertise for land administration reforms.   While acknowledging the important roles of traditional and community leaders in land governance and dispute resolution, Arc Dangiwa emphasised the need to develop strategies to integrate customary land tenure into formal registration systems and reduce land disputes.    "Their involvement will ensure that the NLRDP is inclusive and respects the rights of all Nigerians," he stated. The Minister also highlighted the exploration of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in land registration and digitization, as well as the role of traditional and community leaders in land governance and dispute resolution.   He further reassured the State Governments, the World Bank and all stakeholders of the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to drive the ongoing transformation in the Nation’s Land Administration . In his goodwill message, the Chairman Senate Committee on Housing and Urban Development, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, stated that the Committee was fully committed to providing robust executive support that would ensure the success of the National Lands Registration and Documentation programme.   According to him, some of these supports include; Land and social frameworks, conducting of oversight functions to ensure accountability, collaborating with state Assemblies to harmonise land related matters, among others.   Also in his goodwill message, the Country Director of the World Bank, Dr. Ndiamé Diop represented by the Senior Social Development Specialist, Dr. Mike Ilesanmi expressed happiness to be part of the initiatives of the National Land Registration and Documentation Program as it aligned with the World Bank’s vision to eradicate poverty.   He noted that the workshop was an initiative that would help unlock investments at the National and sub-national level, further assuring of the Bank’s readiness to continue in the support to get the expected outcome from the program.   Similarly, the Chairman, Land Reform Task Team in his goodwill Rev. Ugochukwu Chime, stated that the Land use act was long overdue for an overhaul, acknowledging the need to have a comfortable land management allocation and execution protocols which is very critical for any development in a nation.   Earlier in his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Shuaib Belgore noted that the National Lands Registration and Documentation Programme was a pivotal and significant step towards strengthening Nigeria’s land administration system as well as a crucial factor in promoting economic growth, social stability, and national development.   He outlined some key objectives of the programme to include; Ensuring a unified and efficient Land Registration System by working closely with state governments, Land actors and Agencies with the view of creating a standardised approach that will reduce duplication, inconsistencies, and bureaucratic bottlenecks, Leveraging Technology for land digitization which aims at transition from manual to digital land records that improves data security, minimise fraudulent activities, and facilitate ease of doing business in real estate and mortgage sectors in line with global best practices, others.   In his welcome address, the Director, Lands and Housing Development, ESV. Collins Alabi sought the support and cooperation of all states for the successful implementation of the national land registration and documentation program.   He recognized the critical role of the state governments in land administration, encouraging them to align their land administration systems with national and global standards. The workshop brought together key stakeholders, including State Governments, development partners and professional in the private sector and academia  to discuss the way forward in achieving the initiatives.   ...

FG Advances Public -Private Partnerships  to Drive Housing and Urban Development - Dangiwa   * says partnering Shelter Afrique Development Bank to Deliver 5,000 Affordable Housing Units    Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has disclosed that the  Ministry is intensifying efforts to harness Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a key strategy for addressing critical housing and urban development challenges in Nigeria.   He made this known at the Renewed Hope Housing Public Private Partnership Summit held at Shehu Yar'adua Centre, Abuja on  Monday,17th March, 2025.   The theme for the Summit is “Leveraging PPPs to Deliver Renewed Hope Agenda for Housing  AND Urban Development."   The Minister noted that the vision to convene industry leaders, housing institutions, policymakers, and stakeholders to deliberate on leveraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to advance the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for housing and urban development was both timely and transformative   Arc. Musa Dangiwa also affirmed the ministry's commitment and determination  to break the cycle of inaction and deliver tangible results in the housing sector, adding in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, the Ministry is spearheading transformative initiatives to enhance urban renewal, optimize federal assets, and improve land administration through Public Private Partnership.   He bemoaned  that the Nigeria  is  battling with  inadequate housing supply to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population and the prevalence of substandard housing where over 70% of Nigeria's 43 million housing units do not meet the basic standards of habitability, safety, sanitation, accessibility, and infrastructure as outlined by the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO).   Arc Dangiwa also revealed that aside collaborating with National Population Commission, the ministry  has established an Industry -Wide Team to develop a National Housing Data Infrastructure in order to have credible housing data.   However,  Federal Government is  working  with an estimated housing deficit of over 20 million units and bridging the gap would mean delivering 500,000 housing units annually over the next decade, at an average cost of N10 million per unit,  meaning it would  require over N5 trillion annually  (approximately $6.25 billion) to achieve that.   "This scale of investment necessitates a collaborative strategy involving both the government and the private sector," He said.   Accordingly, the Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) is a key part of the ministry’s efforts to ensure that it conceive and implement large scale affordable housing and urban development interventions as well as create significant impact nationwide to complement budgetary allocations.   The Minister noted that under a PPP framework arrangement, the Federal Government is working to deliver 100,000 Units with a Consortium of Developers, informing,under the  phase one of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the ministry would deliver seven (7) Renewed Hope Cities targeting the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri, Enugu, Port Harcourt, and Nasarawa with effective demand for housing.   Arc Dangiwa also informed that in a broader effort to enhance urban renewal and slum upgrade programs, the Ministry is strengthening collaborations with multilateral institutions, particularly UN-Habitat emphasising the recent  presidential approval for Nigeria's $500,000 annual subscription to UN- Habitat marks a significant step toward large -scale urban interventions.    To further facilitate urban development discourse and networking among stakeholders, he revealed that the ministry  is planning Nigeria's first National Urban Forum in alignment with New Urban Agenda.   On Federal assets nationwide, the Minister said that the Ministry is exploring innovative PPP models to optimize underutilized federal assets, including dilapidated properties and prime land, hinting plans are underway for the possible establishment of a Housing and Urban Development Special Purpose Investment Vehicle (SPIV) to transform these assets into revenue-generating projects that will fund affordable and social housing.   He said that over the nineteen months, the Ministry has aggressively pursued PPP-driven solutions, but the scale of the challenge remains vast. As such, the Ministry is calling on technically and financially capable partners to collaborate in delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda.   "We need more PPPs to drive these ambitious projects. If you have value to add to our work,you can be assured of a willing and committed partner in us,"  Arc Dangiwa stated.    Also,  the Minister signed a landmark housing development partnership agreement with Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing across the country.     "The agreement is historic because  this is the  first time the Federal Government, through the Ministry ,  is directly collaborating with ShafDB to access developer financing for affordable housing," the Minister remarked.    He explained that  the first phase of the partnership will deliver 5,000 housing units, with plans for nationwide expansion, noting the agreement underscores governments commitment to making homeownership more accessible to Nigerians.   The Minister also said ShafDB will  support in providing  technical advisory services, including comprehensive assessment of Nigeria's housing market using its innovative VIRAL model. He explained the model will lead to the development of country housing deficit reduction strategy paper and three PPP transaction  models for affordable housing and urban renewal projects.   He added that the bank will also give assistance in identifying strategic private sector partners, structuring market- attractive PPP transactions , and raising fund for housing and urban development initiatives, noting capacity building programs in form of training, workshops, and policy development exercise will be conducted to enhance the ministry's capabilities.   Meanwhile, the Minister has called on  the management of Infrastructure Concession Regulation Commission ( ICRC )to modify the it guidelines on PPP to accommodate the "unique characteristics and challenges" of housing development.   He said, "Housing development often requires different financial mechanisms, shorter timelines, and a focus on affordability and social impact, making the current ICRC guidelines less than ideal without further modifications."   Arc Dangiwa outlined the areas the ministry has issues with ICRC to include;  focus on large scale infrastructure, financial model incompatibility, target market and affordability,land acquisition and regulatory challenges amongst others, expressing optimism that working with the new management of the Commission, all the problems will be resolved to enable the ministry speed up its PPP projects.   Earlier in his goodwill message, the Chairman Senate Committee on Housing and Urban Development, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, reaffirmed the unwavering dedication of the Committee to supporting progressive policies and legislative framework that fosters sustainable housing development, adding that creating an enabling environment for PPP’s to thrive required robust legal and regulatory frameworks.   “We stand ready to collaborate with all stakeholders to facilitate this objectives”, he said.   Senator Tambuwal assured that the legislative efforts of the Committee would remain focused on ensuring transparency, streamlining processes and eliminating bureaucratic bottlenecks that hinder private sector investments in housing.   On his part while giving his welcome remarks, the convener of the Renewed Hope Housing Summit, Dr. Olayemi Rotimi Shodimu, informed that the summit which is the first National Open dialog on Public Private Partnership in Nigeria’s housing sector, aims to foster collaboration between public and private stakeholders in the sector.   He said it marked a significant milestone in addressing Nigeria's housing deficit estimated at 17 to 28 million units, and promoting sustainable urban development.   Dr. Shodimu further informed that the summit aims to increase awareness of PPP models, identify innovative financing options, and develop comprehensive policy recommendations.   Also in his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, stated that the summit was a testament to the government's commitment to fostering partnerships that will harness the strengths of both Public and Private sectors, to meet the growing demand for affordable housing.   He expressed confident that the collaboration between the two sectors would play a transformative role in addressing the challenges facing the housing sector.   In her presentation of the PPP strategy and framework for Housing and Urban Development, the Head Public Private Partnership (PPP) of the Ministry, Arc. Abimbola Asein, brought the participants up to speed with the vision and mission of the Ministry.   To achieve the vision, she outlined some strategic objectives to include; Increasing Affordable Housing Supply, Enhancing Urban Infrastructure, Fostering Innovation and Sustainability, Ensuring Inclusivity and Equity, among others.   Arc.  Asein mentioned key programs and initiatives that would help translate the strategic objectives into action, flagship programs such as the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme which targets the delivery of 200,000 affordable housing units by 2030, and the National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme, aiming to develop 50 urban and slum upgrade projects by 2030.     Accordingly, Arc. Asein listed some key elements of the PPP framework to include Policy and Regulatory Reforms, Strengthening of Institutional Structures, and more.   Highlight of the event was the signing of memorandum between the Housing Ministry and the Shelter Afrique Development Bank, as well as the presentation of a milestone award by the Real House Communication LTD, to the Honourable Minister for the giant strides so far achieved in the Ministry.   ...