The Honorable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, Arc. FNIA, FCIB, received the Transforming Africa Minister of Housing Award at the 2025 Africa Housing Awards and Industry Year-end Dinner held on Friday, December 12, 2025 at Fraser Suites, Abuja.
While accepting the award, the Minister said the award was a tribute to the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) whose New Hope Agenda placed housing and urban development at the center of Nigeria’s economic transformation.
He said the award reflected a deliberate shift in Nigeria’s housing policy from piecemeal interventions to a structured national housing program focused on scale, systems and measurable impact.
arc. Dangiwa noted that Africa’s housing crisis has reached a scale that requires urgent and concerted action, stressing that housing is no longer a fringe social problem but a central driver of economic growth, social stability and human dignity.
He said more than 54 million Africans currently live in urban slums, while the continent faces a housing deficit of at least 51 million units, with a funding gap estimated at around $1.4 trillion. He warned that without accelerated solutions, Africa’s housing shortage could rise to around 130 million homes by 2030.
Speaking on Nigeria’s progress, the Minister said that in the past two years, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has begun construction of more than 10,000 homes in 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and that ongoing urban renewal and slum upgrading programs are impacting more than 150 communities across the country, developing critical infrastructure, creating jobs and strengthening local building material value chains.
He commended the organizers of the Africa International Housing Show and Africa Housing Awards, saying the platform was an important driver for advocacy, accountability and continued sectoral engagement across Africa.
“Housing is more than just a building. It is dignity for families, security for communities and opportunity for nations. It is also one of the most powerful drivers of employment, value creation and inclusive growth,” the Minister said.
arc. Dangiwa stressed that no country can solve Africa’s housing shortage alone and called for deeper cooperation between governments, the private sector, financial institutions and development partners. He emphasized the need to make housing part of the continent’s productivity agenda, centered on land governance reform, bankable housing finance, climate-smart construction, sustainable urban planning and strong local value chains.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment, the Minister pledged that the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development will continue to deepen intercontinental partnerships, accelerate innovative housing finance solutions, strengthen innovation in construction and sustainability, and ensure that housing policies remain people-centred and dignity-driven.
Congratulations to our fellow winners from across the continent, Arc. Dangiwa said the recognition underscores what is possible when African-led solutions are met with discipline, partnership and political will.
The minister concluded that “Africa’s housing future will be built together or not at all.”
signed
mark kiesche
Special Assistant to the Minister for Media and Strategy
