By Umar Abdullahi
Sokoto State Governor, Dr Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, has disclosed that his administration has initiated housing projects involving 1,836 units as part of efforts to address the state’s housing deficit.
The governor made this known on Thursday at the closing ceremony of the 15th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, held in Sokoto.
Aliyu said the projects aligned with his administration’s commitment to providing decent and affordable accommodation for residents under its nine-point SMART Agenda.
According to him, the projects comprise 500 housing units at Wajake in Wamakko Local Government Area, 500 units at Sokoto New City, 136 units acquired from the Federal Government at Kwannawa, and 100 units each for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Illela and Rabah local government areas.
The list also includes 500 housing units at Gidan Salanke, a project initiated by the administration of former Governor and Senator, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, which the present administration is completing.
The governor thanked the National Council for selecting Sokoto State to host its 15th meeting, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to expanding access to decent and affordable housing.
FG Plans 77,400 Housing Units Nationwide
In his remarks, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Dr Muttaqha Rabe Darma, disclosed that the Federal Government planned to construct 100 housing units in each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas under its Social Housing Programme.
The proposed initiative would deliver a total of 77,400 housing units nationwide.
Darma also announced plans to increase mortgage delivery to 5,000 annually and raise the maximum mortgage loan from ₦50 million to ₦85 million by 2028.
He said the Federal Government was directing the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to disburse at least 70 per cent of the previous year’s National Housing Fund (NHF) contributions through mortgage facilities annually.
According to him, the government was targeting 2,000 mortgages in the current year, with the figure expected to rise to 5,000 by 2028.
The minister added that the government was targeting the allocation of between 30 and 40 per cent of mortgage bookings to informal-sector workers, many of whom have historically faced difficulties accessing formal housing finance.
“The proposed reforms are designed to strengthen the housing finance system, improve access to mortgage facilities and ensure that more Nigerian workers can benefit from their contributions to the National Housing Fund,” he said.
Darma further disclosed plans to establish a National Housing Finance Authority to provide a more coordinated regulatory framework and improve the performance of the country’s housing finance sector.
He also highlighted the recently launched Diaspora Mortgage Programme, designed for Nigerians living abroad.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to making housing finance more accessible, particularly to low- and middle-income earners and informal-sector workers.
He stressed that effective implementation, transparency and accountability would be essential to achieving the objectives.
Sultan Calls for Collaboration on Affordable Housing
Speaking at the event, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, described the meeting’s theme, “Strengthening Mortgage, Land and Institutional Systems for Accelerated and Inclusive Housing Development,” as timely and relevant.
He emphasised the need for collaboration among stakeholders to make housing more affordable and accessible to Nigerians.
Other speakers included the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo; Chairman of the House Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante; and Sokoto State Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Nasiru Dantsoho.
The meeting brought together commissioners responsible for lands, housing and urban development from the 36 states of the federation.
It ended with resolutions aimed at accelerating inclusive housing delivery across the country.
