Housing minister, builders to meet in Lagos over Nigeria's housing gap

Housing professionals, government officials and private developers will gather in Lagos on Wednesday to look at practical ways of closing Nigeria's housing gap. The event is the 2026 annual lecture of the Property and Environment Writers' Association of Nigeria (PEWAN), a body of journalists who cover housing and the environment.

It holds at the NECA House Conference Hall in the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, on November 4. The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, is expected as Special Guest of Honour, while Mr Odunayo Ojo, Managing Director of UPDC Plc, has been invited to chair the session.

The theme is "Re-imagining Housing: Sustainability, Facility Management and Innovative Building Materials." In plain terms, the talks will cover how to build more cheaply and safely, how to keep existing estates and buildings in good repair, and how newer materials can lower the cost of putting up a home.

Why it matters to ordinary Nigerians

Nigeria has a well-known housing shortage, and many families spend a large share of their income on rent. Builders and officials argue that cheaper materials and better upkeep of what already exists could ease pressure on rents and make decent homes more reachable.

Mr Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HBM Nigeria Plc, will speak on "Innovative Building Materials: Place of the Private Sector." His paper is expected to focus on how private investment and business innovation can raise construction standards.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Bldr. Florence Omolola Gbaye, has been nominated for a special recognition award for her work in the built environment. She is expected to give a goodwill message and speak on the agency's efforts to enforce building control and safer construction in Lagos, a state where building collapses have been a recurring concern.

HBM Nigeria Plc and Alade-Akinyemi are also lined up for recognition for their work in building materials innovation. Organisers say the awards will go to people and organisations in the public and private sectors whose work has improved quality and sustainability.

Expected at the lecture are built environment professionals, environmental science lecturers, government officials, real estate operators, non-governmental organisations, recyclers and students.

PEWAN Chairman Mrs Okwy Chikezie said ahead of the event that the annual lecture is meant to be a platform for informed discussion of developments, challenges and opportunities in the built environment. She said the association hopes to push stronger collaboration between government and private operators to improve housing delivery.

What happens next

The lecture holds on Wednesday, November 4. Any proposals that come out of it would still need buy-in from government and developers before they affect building costs or housing policy.