The Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN) has introduced a five-year mass housing initiative aimed at delivering 740,000 housing units across Nigeria starting from 2027. The initiative, tagged “ERAHOMS 740,000 Mass Housing Initiative,” targets an annual production of 148,000 homes. This effort is designed to address Nigeria’s housing crisis by transforming state housing corporations into commercially driven housing-development institutions capable of delivering homes at scale.
The initiative will be driven by the 36 State Housing Corporations and the Federal Capital Territory through various models, including direct development, public-private partnerships (PPPs), serviced land, mortgage-backed housing, cooperative housing, and private-sector partnerships. According to AHCN President, Mr. Eno Obongha, the proposed 740,000 units will be allocated based on each state’s population, housing deficit, land availability, economic capacity, and existing housing project pipeline.
Obongha disclosed this information during the presentation of the State of the Nation Housing Address to commemorate the 2026 World Habitat Day. The theme of this year’s World Habitat Day is “Adequate Housing for All”. He emphasized that the initiative requires the collective commitment of federal and state governments, financial institutions, developers, building-material manufacturers, professionals, and other stakeholders.
The AHCN president noted that the existing 36 state housing corporations are underutilized and constrained by inadequate funding, lack of access to affordable long-term finance, land challenges, outdated laws, weak revenue-generation mechanisms, and poor integration into government housing strategies. He called for the repositioning of these corporations from government construction agencies to professional housing-development institutions capable of originating projects, securing land, attracting investors, and managing estates.
Obongha also highlighted the need for a National State Housing Corporation Housing Delivery Register, reform of state housing corporations, creation of a National Housing Land Bank, establishment of a Housing Corporation PPP Fund, and delivery of 740,000 homes through state housing corporations. He stressed that Nigeria cannot produce millions of homes with expensive short-term finance and high interest rates, and proposed a National State Housing Land Bank Initiative to maintain a digital inventory of land available for housing.
The AHCN chief urged state governors to revive and strengthen their housing corporations by appointing boards, providing land, facilitating access to finance, ensuring professional leadership, and setting measurable housing-delivery targets. He argued that state housing corporations should not merely participate in national housing programs but should become key delivery engines. He also called for affordable rental housing, slum upgrading, local production of building materials, and the development of Agric-Villages to tackle housing shortages, unemployment, food insecurity, and rural-urban migration.
Looking ahead to 2030, AHCN envisages a Nigeria where every state housing corporation has a functioning housing-development strategy, every state maintains a documented housing land bank, and housing finance is accessible to more Nigerians. Obongha concluded by emphasizing the need to transform housing corporations into powerful engines of mass housing delivery, build communities, and rekindle the hope of the Nigerian people. The national housing deficit stands at 14.925 million units, with 15.2 million existing homes classified as structurally defective or substandard.
Key points
- AHCN targets 740,000 housing units from 2027.
- Initiative to be driven by 36 State Housing Corporations and FCT.
- Allocation based on population, housing deficit, land availability, economic capacity, and existing project pipeline.
