The Federal Government has restated its commitment to inclusive engagement and cooperative federalism in Nigeria’s housing and urban development sector, as the 14th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development opened in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Speaking at the opening session on Monday, January 19, 2026, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Muhktar Ilyasu Umar, described the annual council meeting as a vital platform for evidence-driven policymaking and collaboration across all tiers of government.
“The Council meeting reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive engagement, cooperative federalism, and evidence-driven policymaking as essential pillars for addressing the nation’s housing and urban development challenges,” Umar said.
The council, regarded as the apex advisory body for the sector, brings together commissioners, permanent secretaries, directors, state surveyors-general, and other stakeholders to chart a sustainable path for housing delivery, land administration, and urban renewal.
This year’s theme, “Achieving Housing Delivery and Sustainable Cities through Effective Land Management, Urban Renewal, Promotion of Local Building Materials, and Public–Private Partnerships in Nigeria,” reflects the urgency of tackling rapid urbanisation, population growth, climate change, and Nigeria’s widening housing deficit.
Deliberations are structured around eight thematic areas, including policy formulation, institutional strengthening, land governance, promotion of local building materials, urban regeneration, public–private partnerships, and innovative housing finance strategies.
Kwara State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Segun Ogunsola, noted that the theme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the council’s resolutions will shape policy direction across all tiers of government.
The meeting is expected to produce far-reaching recommendations capable of strengthening land governance, revitalising Nigerian cities, reducing the housing deficit, and improving citizens’ quality of life.
