The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration among state governments and other stakeholders to improve access to mortgages, land administration, and institutional capacity to deliver housing faster and more inclusively.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Shu’aibu Belgore, made the call on Wednesday during the technical session of the 15th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development in Sokoto.
The council is themed, “Strengthening Mortgage, Land and Institutional Systems for Accelerated and Inclusive Housing Delivery.”
Belgore expressed appreciation to the Sokoto State Government and its people for hosting the national gathering, describing their hospitality as heartwarming.
He said the theme reflected three critical pillars of effective housing delivery: access to finance, access to land and strong institutions.
According to him, the National Council remains a vital platform for policy dialogue, coordination and collaboration between the Federal Government and state governments on land administration, housing and urban development.
He said the council provides an opportunity to assess challenges facing the sector, review existing policies and programs, and agree on practical measures that could be implemented across all levels of government.
Belgore noted that access to mortgage financing was essential to homeownership, stressing the need for mortgage systems that reflected the realities of Nigerians, particularly low- and middle-income earners.
“Necessary steps should be taken to alleviate the issues hampering access to mortgage. Our mortgage options available to off-takers should be attractive to elicit increased demand,” he said.
The permanent secretary also emphasized the importance of accessible, properly planned and efficiently administered land, noting that sustainable housing delivery would remain difficult without an effective land management system.
He called for closer cooperation between federal and state governments to address land-related challenges, adding that although land administration largely falls within the jurisdiction of state governments, its implications for housing require a coordinated approach.
On institutional capacity, Belgore described government institutions as the channels through which policies were translated into tangible results.
He warned that weak institutions could undermine even well-designed policies, urging ministries, departments and agencies at federal and subnational levels to strengthen their capacity and improve performance.
He said such efforts should include enhancing technical expertise, improving coordination among agencies, promoting the use of data and digital systems, and streamlining regulatory processes.
Belgore commended the seven thematic groups that deliberated during the technical session, stressing that the council’s success would depend on the quality of its decisions and the extent to which its recommendations were implemented.
He explained that the meeting of permanent secretaries served as a link between the technical sessions and the policy-level meeting of commissioners and ministers.
“Our task is to carefully examine the reports emerging from the thematic groups, identify areas requiring clarification, and reconcile overlapping recommendations,” he said.
He added that the meeting would also address inconsistencies and ensure that proposed recommendations were practical, actionable and aligned with the responsibilities of the different levels of government.
Also speaking, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Mr Nasiru Dantsoho, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to policies that would improve housing delivery.
Dantsoho expressed hope that the council would produce recommendations to expand access to decent shelter for Nigerians.
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He disclosed that the Sokoto State Government was constructing more than 1,500 housing units at three locations, including New City and Wajake, as part of efforts to reduce the state’s housing deficit.
The technical session was attended by representatives of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, professional bodies, industry stakeholders and development partners, including UN-Habitat, NAN reports.
