Housing sector must be scam-free to drive growth — HDAN

The Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN) has declared zero tolerance for scammers and unethical practices in Nigeria’s housing and construction sector, pledging stricter oversight and collaboration with government institutions to raise professional standards across the industry.

The convener of the Africa Housing Awards and Chief Executive Officer of Housing TV Show, Barrister Festus Adebayo, made the declaration at the 7th Africa Housing Awards held in Abuja, where he described the housing sector as a critical driver of economic growth, job creation and national development.

Adebayo said Africa’s housing crisis remains one of the continent’s most urgent development challenges, stressing that professionalism and integrity must be enforced to protect the public and restore confidence in the sector.

He explained that the Africa Housing Awards, instituted seven years ago, was designed to recognise individuals and organisations contributing meaningfully to housing development across the continent, while also promoting accountability.

According to him, HDAN is committed to monitoring the activities of stakeholders in the sector to ensure ethical service delivery, warning that fraudulent practices would not be tolerated under any circumstances.

He said HDAN would not hesitate to expose any form of malpractice, even if it involves award recipients, adding that the organisation is working with the National Assembly, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the Federal Ministry of Housing, Lagos State Government and other regulatory bodies to establish strong regulations similar to what operates in Dubai.

At the event, about 52 individuals, organisations and government bodies were honoured across three categories, including Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, and other African leaders.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dangiwa warned that Africa faces a housing deficit of no fewer than 50 million units, with an estimated housing finance gap of over $1.4 trillion, a figure projected to rise to about 130 million units by 2030 if urgent solutions are not accelerated.

He noted that Nigeria alone has a housing deficit conservatively estimated at over 17 million units, but said the Federal Government is responding with structured, large-scale interventions under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The minister disclosed that in the last two years, the ministry had commenced over 10,000 housing units across 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory, while urban renewal and slum upgrade programmes have impacted more than 150 communities nationwide.

Dangiwa stressed that housing can no longer be treated as a peripheral issue, describing it as central to economic growth, social stability, urban resilience and human dignity. He also called for a continental approach, noting that no single government can solve Africa’s housing challenge alone.

Namibia’s Minister of Urban and Rural Development, James Sankwasa, who received the Minister for Housing of the Year 2025 award, said Africa must begin to recognise and celebrate its own development efforts while strengthening cooperation across borders.

The event attracted dignitaries from across the building and housing industry, including ministers from Namibia, as well as delegations from Gambia, Ghana, Kenya and stakeholders from across Nigeria.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Grace Ike, called for stronger collaboration between journalists and housing stakeholders to improve access to decent housing for media professionals.

She praised Barrister Adebayo for his sustained advocacy and support for journalism, expressing optimism that promises around housing for journalists would be realised by 2026, with support from mortgage institutions, to give media professionals stable homes and the peace of mind to focus on ethical reporting and nation-building.

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