‎By Teddy Nwanunobi

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‎The Federal Government has officially pegged Nigeria’s housing deficit at 15 million units, adopting new global housing standards to guide policy and accelerate access to affordable homes nationwide.

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‎Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Muttaqha Darma, disclosed this on Tuesday during the stakeholders’ validation workshop on the national housing data programme in Abuja.

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‎Darma said the estimate followed findings by the ministry’s technical committee using the World Bank Adequate Housing Index and the UN-Habitat Household Crowding Index.

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‎He said the North-West and North-East remained the regions under the greatest housing pressure due to rapid population growth and inadequate housing supply.

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‎The minister said the government had ended years of uncertainty over conflicting housing deficit estimates ranging between 15 million and 28 million units.

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‎He urged stakeholders to validate the methodology before submitting the report to the Federal Executive Council for approval.

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‎Darma said the government was proposing a national housing and built environment regulation policy to improve planning, housing delivery and investor confidence.

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‎He said the policy would regulate developers, strengthen construction quality and protect prospective homeowners from fraudulent practices.

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‎Permanent Secretary, Dr Shuaib Belgore, said credible housing data would support evidence-based decisions and improve monitoring of housing interventions nationwide.

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‎He added that fragmented data systems and weak regulation had hindered planning, investment and sustainable housing development across the country.

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‎Participants at the three-day workshop are expected to validate the national housing data framework and recommend measures to strengthen housing regulation nationwide.