In a decisive move to address Nigeria’s chronic housing deficit, the Federal Government has declared 2026 a “defining year” for its housing agenda, pledging to prioritize the completion of all ongoing national housing projects. This commitment, announced by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, signals a strategic pivot from initiating new projects to delivering tangible results for Nigerians awaiting affordable homes.
The announcement was made during the Ministry’s expanded management meeting in Abuja on January 9, 2026, a session convened to review the 2025 performance and chart the course for the critical year ahead. Minister Dangiwa framed 2026 as a decisive period of accountability, stating, “This is the year Nigerians will look back on and ask what the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has delivered.”
From Pledge to Practice: The Renewed Hope Housing Agenda
The core of this prioritization is the “Renewed Hope Housing Projects,” a flagship initiative of the Tinubu administration. While the minister acknowledged significant funding challenges in 2025, he reported appreciable milestones, including reforms in land administration and the near-completion of Renewed Hope Cities in Karsana (Abuja), Kano, and Lagos, which are slated for commissioning soon.
To understand the scale of the challenge, Nigeria faces an estimated housing deficit of over 20 million units. The government’s strategy involves a mix of direct construction and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). The minister specifically directed the Departments of Public Private Partnership and Public Buildings to intensify site monitoring, ensuring contractors return to sites and adhere to strict timelines. “You need to engage these contractors closely,” Dangiwa emphasized, highlighting a hands-on approach to project management.
Expanding the Footprint: New Cities and Funding Promises
In a significant expansion, the minister disclosed that three new Renewed Hope City locations—Maiduguri, Enugu, and Port Harcourt—will commence in 2026. This will bring the total active sites to six, creating a broader national footprint aimed at providing geo-political balance and addressing housing needs in diverse regions.
A critical hurdle has been financing. The minister revealed “firm commitments” from the federal government to address funding gaps and clear outstanding liabilities to contractors in 2026. This financial injection is seen as the catalyst needed to accelerate progress. “For us to achieve this much despite the 2025 funding constraints, we can achieve more this year when funding is made available,” Dangiwa argued, motivating ministry staff to redouble their efforts.
The Accountability and Legacy Push
The meeting underscored a clear push for legacy and public accountability. The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, noted that “maximum publicity programmes” would be deployed to showcase the administration’s housing scorecard. This suggests a concerted effort to make delivery visible and measurable to the public, moving beyond announcements to demonstrable completion.
However, the success of this pledge hinges on several factors beyond funding: consistent contractor performance, efficient bureaucratic processes, and sustained political will. The directive to give mobilized contractors “clear timelines” and ensure close monitoring from the Ministry’s controllers will be a key test of its operational resolve.
In conclusion, the Federal Government’s 2026 housing pledge represents a focused attempt to convert policy promises into lived reality for Nigerians. By prioritizing completion, expanding to new cities, and promising financial resolution, the Ministry is setting a high bar for its defining year. The nation will be watching to see if the bricks and mortar materialize as promised, providing the “affordable and decent housing” that remains a cornerstone of the Renewed Hope agenda.
Edited by Oluwole Sogunle
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