The newly inaugurated Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, has pledged to deploy innovation and strategic thinking to bridge Nigeria’s huge housing deficit.
Addressing journalists after taking the oath of office administered by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Friday, Rabe Darma described his appointment as a solemn call to duty and accountability, saying his performance would be measured by himself, the Nigerian public, and ultimately, God.
“I feel that I have been given a responsibility. And I know that if you are given responsibility, there are three classes of people who will judge you on that responsibility.
I won’t satisfy all those classes. For example, I must satisfy myself that the work I’m given, I’m doing well. Then the people around me, people close to me, will be satisfied that what I’m doing, I’m doing it well. And then the general public will become satisfied that what I’m doing, I’m doing well.
At the end of it all, God Almighty will also judge me… and I tell you that I am going to deliver to the best of my ability, and you will see changes in no time,” he said.
The minister acknowledged the challenge before him, noting that Nigeria faces an estimated housing deficit of 20 million units, a shortfall he said is affecting more than 100 million people.
“That is a tremendous challenge. Even if you say you’re going to build 15 million houses in the next 10 years, it’s going to be difficult, and it’s going to consume a lot of money. We know all of that,” he stated.
Darma highlighted that he would pursue a reform-oriented strategy anchored on innovation and long-term planning.
“But we are strategic. We are focused. We are forward-looking. We are people who actually think much faster than the time we are in. And I am telling you, we will bring a lot of innovation and creativity to ensure that we do well and that so many people who are unhoused will be housed, inshallah.”
Speaking on the challenges of funding, the minister admitted he is yet to fully assess the ministry’s internal constraints but assured that solutions would follow a proper understanding of the terrain.
“Let me tell you one thing: I have not gone to the ministry to fully understand the many challenges it is facing. If I know the challenges, I will definitely find ways to solve them,” he said.
“In this country today, some of the richest people we have, even here in Abuja, are estate owners. They are property developers; they are doing property business.
“Now, why is it that they are building houses, selling them, and yet government-owned houses are being abandoned? Nobody is coming close to government houses. There must be something wrong,” he said.
He added that the profitability and social prestige attached to private real estate ventures underscore deeper issues within public housing frameworks.
“If you start a property business today, by tomorrow you become rich. In your village, they will even begin to give you titles. And that is the truth.
So there must be some concern, something we are not seeing or not addressing, that is causing these challenges in the housing sector.”
The minister added that he will interrogate existing delivery models, improve efficiency, and harness private sector capacity in bridging Nigeria’s widening housing deficit.