The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced its readiness to allocate land nationwide to credible private investors who are willing to collaborate on large-scale housing developments.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, shared this development in an official statement following a presentation by a Chinese business delegation. Led by Chief Engineer Lewis Chima, representatives from China Hyway Group Limited met with the ministry to propose a partnership aimed at delivering affordable, durable housing units across the country’s six geopolitical zones.

During the meeting, Minister Darma praised the firm’s interest in the country’s real estate sector. He explained that their proposal fits perfectly within the framework of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places a high premium on public-private partnerships to make sustainable housing accessible to more citizens.

Darma reaffirmed the ministry’s dedication to creating an environment where genuine investors can thrive by easing the process of accessing land and providing administrative support. He confirmed that land would be made available in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as well as in all other states and local government areas, provided that interested developers fulfill all statutory regulations and go through the established due process.

Chief Engineer Lewis Chima explained that his company was drawn to Nigeria by its immense economic potential and its massive housing shortage. He pointed out that Nigeria’s estimated housing deficit of seventeen million units demands heavy, industrial-scale intervention.

The proposed project aims to construct 10,000 housing units within a span of 30 months. To achieve this tight timeline, the Chinese firm plans to use highly advanced prefabricated building technology under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Financing model.

This strategy bundles the design, funding, building, and delivery of the project into a single framework. Chima noted that by manufacturing components off-site and bringing them in for rapid assembly, the project can reduce overall construction costs, raise quality standards, and utilize international funding to keep financial risks low.

Following the presentation, the minister immediately directed that a committee of key directors within the ministry be formed to thoroughly review the technical and financial details of the proposal before taking further action.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, also assured the visitors that the government remains highly committed to partnerships that accelerate the rollout of affordable, high-quality homes.

To help close the housing gap, the Federal Government’s overarching Renewed Hope Housing Programme relies on a three-tier development structure. This includes Renewed Hope Cities, Renewed Hope Estates, and Renewed Hope Social Housing Estates.

The ministry has already kicked off construction on more than ten thousand housing units spread across fourteen different states and the Federal Capital Territory. Some of the major ongoing projects under this scheme include a three thousand one hundred and twelve-unit development in Karsana, Abuja, a two thousand-unit estate in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, another major project in Kano, and several smaller two hundred and fifty-unit estates across various states.