Housing Ministry Introduces New Monitoring System to Boost Implementation of National Housing Resolutions
By Auwal Ahmad, Gombe
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has announced a mid-term monitoring and review mechanism aimed at ensuring the effective implementation of resolutions from the National Council on Lands, Housing, and Urban Development.
This initiative comes in response to concerns over the long-standing lack of adherence to Council resolutions.
Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary of the Housing Ministry, disclosed the plan during the ongoing 13th Council meeting in Gombe State, which brings together Permanent Secretaries from across the country.
“Concerned with the non-implementation of Council resolutions over the years, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development sponsored a memo this year to seek the approval of Council for the mid-term monitoring of the implementation of Council resolutions,” Ogunbiyi stated.
He added that the Council’s Technical Session had approved the proposal, and it would now be presented to the full body of Permanent Secretaries.
This year’s Council meeting, themed “Housing the Future: Affordable Housing for Economic Growth, Climate Resilience, and Urban Development,” emphasises the critical role of affordable housing in Nigeria’s economic growth.
Ogunbiyi outlined several challenges facing the sector, including shortages of affordable housing, rapid urbanization, and limited access to land, and he highlighted key Ministry initiatives designed to address these issues.
Among these initiatives is the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Housing Programme, which has seen significant development across Nigeria’s geo-political zones.
Additionally, Ogunbiyi highlighted plans for a National Housing Data Center (NHDC), which will establish a comprehensive housing data framework to support policy and planning.
The Steering Committee on Housing Data, chaired by Ogunbiyi, has already instructed its Technical Working Group to create governance and data-gathering frameworks for the center.
“This programme is among some of the key initiatives of the Ministry geared towards the achievement of our mandate,” he noted.
Ogunbiyi called for stronger collaboration among public and private sectors, as well as community engagement, to tackle the urgent demand for affordable and sustainable housing.
He urged stakeholders to leverage their expertise to drive meaningful development, describing the Council’s theme as “a call to action, not just a topic for discussion.”
Engr. Usman Kallamu, Gombe State’s Commissioner for Works, Housing, and Transportation, also underscored the meeting’s relevance, urging delegates to explore how affordability in housing could enhance economic and urban development. “This council meeting affords delegates to identify the importance of affordability in Nigeria’s economic and urban development,” he said.
The meeting included presentations on building collapse and mortgage registry administration by the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN). Discussions identified key causes of building collapse in Nigeria, such as inadequate supervision, use of substandard materials, and non-engagement of qualified professionals.