The Federal Government has inaugurated the Joint Steering Committee on National Housing Data to develop and implement a blueprint for ensuring transparency and within six months develop the blueprint for the establishment of a National Housing Data Center.
The Minister of housing and urban development, Ahmed Dangiwa during the inauguration further directed the Committee to accomplish its mandate
“We know we have a housing deficit and that we face the dual challenge of inadequate housing supply to meet population growth, coupled with substandard housing that does not meet the conditions of Habitability, Safety & Security, Comfort, Sanitation, Accessibility, Infrastructure, Social Amenities, and Socio-Cultural Adequacy as set out by the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO) but there is no industry-accepted data to illustrate this and guide the government, housing agencies, and financial institutions both local and international in planning and outlining strategies to fix Nigeria’s housing problem. What we have had over the decades are speculations and estimates,” Dangiwa said.
The Joint Committee was also mandated to set up a Technical Working Group comprising data experts and professionals responsible for carrying out the detailed technical work required to meet the Committee’s deliverables.
“This includes producing the blueprint for establishing the National Housing Data Centre, covering the technical and operational framework, financing, sustainable management, and more.These professionals can be sourced not only from competent staff within the member organizations/institutions that make up the Committee but also from data experts in the private sector and reputable consultancy firms with industry experience in housing data management,” he said.
“While the Committee works towards producing a blueprint that will lead to the setup of a National Housing Data Center, I want to task all the Partners to build internal capacity in the areas of housing research and data analysis,” he added.
While speaking, the co-chairman of the committee and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, Mr. Kehinde Ogundimu said by leveraging technology and collaboration among stakeholders, the committee will do its best to deliver a comprehensive database that will address the challenges faced in the housing sector.
“The task before us is enormous and the Honourable Minister will assure you that we will do all we can to deliver to the best of our ability and to put forth something that will be credible, reliable and that people can use to make informed decisions,”he said.
The Membership of the Joint Steering Committee includes representatives from: Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (Chair), National Population Commission
The National Bureau of Statistics, Central Bank of Nigeria,Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Federal Housing Authority among others.