The Federal Government has disclosed that approximately 15.2 million housing units across Nigeria are structurally inadequate.
The disclosure was made by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, in a statement dated December 16, 2025.
Dangiwa explained that these are homes that physically exist but fail to meet basic standards of safety, habitability, durability, and access to essential services.
The findings were produced under the National Housing Data Initiative and presented by the National Housing Data Technical Committee in Abuja.
What the Housing Minister is saying
According to Dangiwa, Nigeria’s housing challenge is both quantitative and qualitative, with deficit estimates varying by source and method.
Using harmonised, internationally recognised approaches, the Ministry identified 15.2 million inadequate housing units nationwide.
The assessment applied the Household Crowding Index, Adequate Housing Index, and Composite Index Methodology, using data from the NPC, NBS, CBN, and other housing institutions, aligned with World Bank standards.
Dangiwa stressed that solutions must go beyond building new homes. They should focus on upgrading existing housing, regenerating deteriorated neighbourhoods, and improving infrastructure and services.
He added that housing inadequacy is part of a broader problem, including affordability gaps, limited land access, housing finance constraints, and regional disparities.
“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.
“These findings clearly demonstrate that Nigeria’s housing challenge is not only about building new houses but equally about upgrading existing housing stock, regenerating deteriorated neighbourhoods, improving basic services and infrastructure, and ensuring dignity, safety, and adequacy in housing outcomes,” Dangiwa stated.
Data-driven approach to address housing challenges
The statement noted that, based on the Adequate Housing Index, Kano recorded the highest level of housing inadequacy, while Bayelsa recorded the lowest.
- The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has begun steps to establish a National Housing Data Centre.
- The Centre will support policy formulation, investment decisions, access to housing finance, and large-scale housing delivery.
- The initiative aims to improve planning accuracy, investor confidence, and market accountability. The Housing Data Committee’s report will be published and circulated to relevant agencies.
The Data Centre is expected to be operational by mid-January 2026.
What you should know
The Federal Government, under the current administration, is addressing housing challenges through the Renewed Hope Estates and Cities programme, with multiple projects at various stages of completion across the country.
Renewed Hope Cities are large-scale developments, one planned for each geopolitical zone and one in the FCT.
- They follow a public-private partnership (PPP) model, where private developers finance the projects, acquire land, and provide infrastructure, often through high-interest loans. This generally results in higher prices, with a one-bedroom unit selling for about N22 million.
- Renewed Hope Estates are smaller clusters of roughly 250 units, funded directly by the Federal Government. State governments provide land at no cost, and infrastructure is subsidised to keep units more affordable, with one-bedroom units priced between N8 million and N9 million.
Despite these efforts, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, notes that Nigeria still faces a severe housing deficit. Meeting this gap, he noted, would require 550,000 new units annually at an estimated cost of N5.5 trillion over the next ten years.