By Sulyman Gobir
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaqa Rabe Darma, has inaugurated a 14-member Ministerial Committee to develop an implementation framework for validated stakeholder resolutions on housing sector reforms.
Darma charged the committee to translate recommendations from stakeholders into concrete actions capable of transforming Nigeria’s built environment and positioning the housing sector as a major driver of economic growth.
The committee, comprising representatives from the Ministry’s technical departments and relevant agencies, is chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Shuaib Belgore.
Speaking during the inauguration, Darma recalled that stakeholders in the housing industry had earlier participated in a validation conference to review housing deficit data compiled by the Ministry and establish policy directions for transforming the sector.
Darma urged members of the committee to approach the assignment with commitment, noting that they were carefully selected to drive the reform process.
“We don’t know the word impossible, all we see is possibility,” the Minister said, charging the committee to produce a robust and workable implementation strategy within six weeks.
Responding on behalf of the committee, its Chairman and Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, described the assignment as a privilege and an opportunity to improve housing outcomes for Nigerians, standardise practices across the sector and unlock its potential contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
Belgore commended the Minister’s leadership, noting that the housing sector had continued to receive increased national attention through activities including groundbreaking ceremonies, estate handovers and stakeholder consultations.
He assured the Minister that the committee shared his urgency to deliver results within the six-week timeframe.
Belgore also pledged the committee’s full cooperation and commitment to delivering its mandate, adding that further consultations with stakeholders would be conducted as the framework takes shape to ensure broad support for the reforms.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Shehu Usman Osidi, commended the Minister for initiating the reform process, noting that some of the proposals align with measures already undertaken by the bank.
Osidi, drawing from FMBN’s previous experiences, said stakeholder engagement would be critical to the success of the current reform efforts.
He recalled that previous attempts to advance amendments to the National Housing Fund (NHF) and FMBN Acts, as well as a proposed N500 billion recapitalisation, faced resistance from stakeholders.
