KEY POINTS
• FG wants Qatar to support affordable housing and urban renewal across Nigeria.
• The proposed partnership could extend social housing interventions to all 774 LGAs.
• Qatar says it is ready to support Nigeria through concrete projects.
MAIN STORY
The Federal Government has opened discussions with Qatar on a possible partnership to expand affordable housing and urban renewal projects as Nigeria grapples with an estimated 15 million housing deficit.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, made the proposal in Abuja when the Qatari Ambassador to Nigeria, Yusuf Al Hail, paid him a courtesy visit.
Darma said the partnership could support the delivery of social housing across the country’s 774 Local Government Areas while improving living conditions, particularly for vulnerable Nigerians.
He said the ministry’s responsibilities extended beyond house construction to include upgrading communities and renewing slums.
“We do not only develop houses, we also do urban upgrade to improve the living conditions of the people,” Darma said.
According to the minister, Nigeria needed about 15 million additional houses to adequately meet the needs of vulnerable citizens.
He therefore invited the Qatari Government, Qatar Charity and the Qatar Fund for Development to support efforts to reduce the deficit.
“We therefore wish to extend an invitation to the Government of Qatar and institutions like Qatar Charity and the Qatar Fund for Development to help us close this gap,” he said.
Darma said collaboration with Qatar would also help the ministry implement more affordable housing and urban renewal projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the government was seeking partnerships with development institutions, other governments and humanitarian organisations because of the scale of the housing challenge.
The minister also pointed to existing humanitarian and development interventions by Qatar in Katsina, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory, including projects at the University of Abuja.
He urged Qatari institutions to expand their interventions beyond individual states and work directly with the federal housing ministry.
Al Hail said Qatar was willing to strengthen its cooperation with Nigeria, particularly in housing and urban development.
The ambassador said Qatari charity organisations and foundations had operated in Nigeria for more than 15 years and recently completed three projects in Abuja.
He said the country was prepared to support Nigeria through “concrete and tangible projects.”
Al Hail also cited Qatari support for education, including a recent intervention benefiting more than 3,000 girls across different states.
He said the project was implemented with local partners and the United Nations under the Qatar Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
THE ISSUES
- The proposed partnership is centred on expanding access to affordable and social housing, with the Federal Government seeking support that can reach communities across all 774 LGAs.
- The housing challenge is being approached as both a construction and urban development issue. The ministry says its mandate includes upgrading existing communities and renewing slums, rather than focusing only on new housing units.
- Qatar’s existing humanitarian and development projects in Nigeria provide a basis for discussions on broader cooperation, with the ministry seeking to move from individual interventions to federal level projects.
- Technical collaboration and investment could provide additional support for housing and urban renewal projects if the proposed framework is developed and implemented.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“We do not only develop houses, we also do urban upgrade to improve the living conditions of the people.” – Muttaqha Darma, Minister of Housing and Urban Development
“We therefore wish to extend an invitation to the Government of Qatar and institutions like Qatar Charity and the Qatar Fund for Development to help us close this gap.” – Muttaqha Darma, Minister of Housing and Urban Development
“Concrete and tangible projects.” – Yusuf Al Hail, Ambassador of Qatar to Nigeria
WHAT’S NEXT
Both sides agreed to explore a framework for technical collaboration and investment in affordable housing and urban renewal projects.
BOTTOM LINE
The Federal Government is seeking Qatari support to expand affordable housing and urban renewal as it works to address an estimated 15 million housing deficit. The proposed cooperation would build on Qatar’s existing development and humanitarian interventions in Nigeria.
