Nigeria has a 17-million-unit housing deficit and a new Chinese company in the minister's office with a plan to build 10,000 homes in 30 months. The government is interested. It is also, wisely, not signing anything yet.
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has received and commended a proposal from China Hyway Group Limited to develop 10,000 resettlement housing units across Nigeria, with the minister directing the constitution of a review committee comprising relevant directors to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the proposal before the ministry determines its next line of action.
The delegation was led by the company's Chief Engineer, Lewis Chima, who presented a comprehensive proposal seeking partnership with the Federal Government to deliver large-scale affordable housing across Nigeria. Chima explained that China Hyway intends to deploy advanced prefabricated construction technology under the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing model, integrating project design, financing, construction and delivery into a single framework, with the proposed technology enabling delivery of the 10,000 housing units within 30 months while reducing construction costs, improving quality, and providing faster completion timelines.
The Chief Engineer stated: "The objective of this project is not merely to construct houses, but to develop sustainable communities through modern industrialised construction technology. We believe this initiative will make a significant contribution towards closing Nigeria's housing gap while supporting the Federal Government's vision of affordable housing for all."
Housing Minister Muttaqha Rabe Darma commended the company for its interest in investing in Nigeria's housing sector, noting that the proposal aligns with President Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises expanding access to affordable and sustainable housing through public-private partnerships. He stated: "Our mandate is to ensure that more Nigerians have access to affordable and decent housing. We are therefore ready and willing to provide land in Abuja, across the states and in local government areas, subject to due process and the fulfilment of all statutory requirements."
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, also assured the delegation of the ministry's commitment to promoting strategic partnerships that would advance the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda and accelerate the delivery of affordable, quality and sustainable housing across the country.
The proposal lands within a broader pattern of Nigerian-Chinese construction engagement that has been building throughout 2026. A high-level technical study visit to Guangzhou earlier this year, led by the Director-General and Global Liaison of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, Joseph Tegbe, focused on integrating modular and prefabricated housing technologies into Nigeria's construction sector, with discussions exploring potential partnerships with leading EPC firms to strengthen execution capacity for large-scale social housing projects.
Nigeria is estimated to have a housing deficit of about 17 million units, with the Federal Government pursuing the Renewed Hope Housing Programme to expand access to affordable homes through public-private partnerships, encompassing the development of Renewed Hope Cities, Estates and Social Housing projects across the country.
The review committee's formation is the appropriate response to a proposal of this scale. Nigeria has a long and costly history of housing PPP agreements that attracted enthusiasm at signing ceremonies before stalling on land acquisition, off-plan financing, or execution disputes. The EPC+F model, which bundles design, procurement, construction, and financing in a single framework, in theory reduces those risks by keeping accountability within one contracting party. Whether China Hyway's specific financial backing, track record in comparable markets, and capacity to actually deliver 333 homes per month for 30 consecutive months survives ministerial scrutiny is precisely what the review is designed to determine. The enthusiasm in Darma's office is appropriate. The committee is the responsible party.
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