Weak Land Systems, High Costs Slowing Housing Delivery, Says Belgore

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Shuaib Belgore, has identified limited access to land, high construction costs, weak land documentation, inadequate mortgage financing and skills gaps as major obstacles slowing housing delivery in Nigeria.

He also disclosed that the separation the Ministry from Works was a deliberate move to reposition the sector for greater impact.

Belgore stated this on Wednesday at the ongoing 14th Meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development (NCLHUD) in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Belgore also restated the commitment of the housing ministry to driving policy harmonisation and deepening the Public – Private collaboration as strategies to accelerate housing delivery and sustainable urban development in Nigeria.

He noted that effective coordination across all tiers of government, supported by the private sector, remains critical to addressing the nation’s housing deficit.

“Achieving sustainable housing delivery and functional cities begins with sound policy formulation, rigorous sectoral reviews, and the implementation of actionable strategies,” Belgore said.

Belgore explained that the Council serves as the highest statutory policy advisory platform in the sector, bringing together key stakeholders to align national and sub-national actions around shared priorities for housing and urban development.

He assured stakeholders of the Ministry’s continued policy leadership and institutional coordination, urging them to translate harmonised policies into measurable outcomes that improve access to affordable housing for Nigerians.

He also disclosed the Ministry’s intervention in establishing local building materials manufacturing hubs aimed at reducing construction costs and creating jobs.

To his end, Belgore called on stakeholders to engage constructively on memoranda before the Council to ensure actionable and coordinated o
outcomes nationwide.

In his remarks, the Commissioner of Housing and Urban Development, Kwara State, Dr Segun Ogunsola, noted that the state is not lagging with regard to urban development in the face of global best practices in housing and urban development.

He argued that the 14th National Housing Council is coming at a time when managing urban sprawl amidst population growth is fast becoming a major challenge.

Ogunsola assured stakeholders that the State Government would work with the Federal Government via the Federal Housing Ministry to bridge the gap in housing deficit, and management of urbanisation across the state.