President Bola Tinubu has sworn-in Muttaqha Rabe Darma as the new Minister of Housing and Urban Development, tasking him to drive the administration’s agenda for affordable housing, urban renewal and infrastructure expansion.
The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, followed Darma’s confirmation by the Nigerian Senate after his ministerial screening held on Thursday 23rd April.
President Tinubu congratulated Dr Darma for coming on board at a period he is facing as a “very challenging time of national development”.
“You have a very rich and interesting background. As a leader, one needs competent hands like yours.
“There is no doubt that you have rendered valuable services in all the assignments you have embarked upon; you are a fitting peg in the right position,” he said.
The President told him to be ready to serve in any capacity in which he is called upon.
His appointment comes after the exit of former minister Ahmed Musa Dangiwa during the recent cabinet reshuffle announced by the Presidency.
Darma is to oversee key housing reforms aimed at bridging Nigeria’s housing deficit, boosting mortgage access, strengthening urban development programmes and attracting private sector investment into the real estate sector.
Rabe Darma’s emergence indicated continuity in the administration’s push to expand home ownership opportunities, improve living standards and unlock the economic potential of the construction and housing sectors, which are major drivers of jobs and growth in Nigeria.