The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), oversaw the construction of no fewer than 2,937 homes under the National Housing Programme, a legacy project of his administration, according to a Sunday report. These residences, built nationwide between 2016 and 2022, formed part of a developmental agenda aimed at addressing Nigeria’s housing challenges. Constructed in three phases across 34 states—excluding Lagos and Rivers—the homes were intended to provide acceptable, accessible, and affordable housing for low‑ and middle‑income earners.
During his 2015 election campaign, President Buhari promised to build one million houses per year to deliver affordable housing for citizens. However, by December 2022 only 2,056 units had been completed in Phase One, 881 in Phase Two, and none in Phase Three. The Ministry of Works and Housing disclosed these figures in response to a Freedom of Information request from Sunday. The housing schemes comprise various semi‑detached bungalows and condominiums; the bungalows are located in northern states, while both bungalows and condominiums appear in southern states. Prices range from N7 million to N9 million for one‑bedroom units, N9 million to N12 million for two‑bedroom units, and N13 million to N16 million for three‑bedroom units.
A regional breakdown shows the North‑West leading with 827 units (Kaduna 128, Kano 121, Katsina 126, Kebbi 106, Jigawa 111, Sokoto 140, Zamfara 95). The North‑Central region accounted for 703 homes (Benue 132, Kogi 116, Kwara 120, Nasarawa 116, Niger 128, Plateau 91). In the North‑East, 679 units were built (Adamawa 126, Bauchi 140, Borno 78, Gombe 101, Taraba 116, Yobe 118). The South‑West saw 392 units completed (Ekiti 70, Ogun 50, Ondo 60, Osun 60, Oyo 70). The South‑South added 200 homes (Akwa‑Ibom 64, Cross River 48, Delta 28, Edo 60; Bayelsa had none). The South‑East recorded the lowest output with 136 units (Anambra 12, Ebonyi 22, Enugu 38, Imo 64; Abia had none).
According to the ministry’s website, the federal government allocated N35.6 billion to the National Housing Programme in 2016. In November that year, the ministry awarded contracts worth N27.4 billion to 542 contractors for the construction of 2,736 housing units. Despite this investment, about 3,199 houses remain uncompleted cumulatively.
Housing expert Festus Adebayo criticized the delivery record, describing it as “very low” and indicative of poor performance by the current administration. He urged family‑home funds to assume greater responsibility for affordable housing by subsidising costs. Adebayo remarked, “The number of houses delivered in eight years is not impressive. With the manifesto promised in 2015, we could not reach 5,000 houses—that is a poor performance. The figure is not impressive; the pricing is too expensive and the location is not okay. Sincerely, the idea of the Ministry of Works building homes in this century is obsolete. They are not supposed to be involved in the direct construction of houses. Family home funds have delivered over 15,000 housing units but should consider pricing. The mandate of social housing must be sustained, taking care of those in the lower cadre of the economy.”
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