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.

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.

Mr 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(NAN)