Abuja — The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has disclosed that as much as 75 per cent of houses in Nigeria are substandard, calling for increased support and collaboration from the UN-Habitat organisation.
Speaking during a working lunch with the new Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ms. Anaclaudia Rossbach, on the sidelines of the 2nd Session of the 2024 UN-Habitat executive board meeting in Nairobi, the minister emphasised the urgency of addressing Nigeria's housing and urban challenges.
He underscored the critical state of housing in Nigeria, noting that over 75 per cent of the country's 42 million housing units are not up to standard, with nearly half of the population living in informal settlements.
To address these challenges, he highlighted the federal government's National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme (NURSUP), which has completed projects in 54 sites nationwide, with 56 additional projects underway.
These efforts, according to a statement by his spokesman, Mark Chieshe, aim to improve essential infrastructure such as water supply, solar-powered streetlights, access roads, drainage systems, and waste management solutions.
The minister stressed the importance of robust partnerships with international organizations like UN-Habitat to scale up these initiatives.
"Our collaboration with UN-Habitat is critical. With your support, we aim to expand and enhance Nigeria's National Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrade Programme to deliver transformative outcomes for our people," he stated.
As part of Nigeria's commitment to the global urban agenda, Dangiwa announced plans to host the country's first National Urban Forum in June or July 2025.
The forum, he said, will bring together stakeholders--including government representatives, urban planners, developers, civil society organisations, and development partners--to discuss Nigeria's urban development strategies.
"Nigeria's Renewed Hope Agenda aligns with the global urban agenda, and we are committed to driving meaningful change through partnerships with organizations like UN-Habitat," the minister said.
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He expressed optimism in finalising a comprehensive partnership framework within six months, with plans to sign the agreement during the National Urban Forum.
In her remarks, Rossbach praised Nigeria's leadership role in urbanization and the Federal Government's contributions to UN-Habitat initiatives, including $3 million toward the African Urban Agenda Programme (2013-2016).
