Abuja’s 1.7 million housing deficit triggers urgent push for affordable shelter by 2030

As Abuja battles an ever-deepening housing crisis, a coalition of civil society and private sector leaders has launched a fresh nationwide campaign to tackle the country’s housing deficit—with the Federal Capital Territory emerging as a critical concern.

Connected Development (CODE), in partnership with real estate firm BraveRock, unveiled the initiative during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, August 5.

The campaign, which aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11, seeks to provide safe, affordable housing for all Nigerians by 2030.

CODE’s Chief Executive, Hamzat Lawal, noted that Abuja alone requires 1.7 million additional housing units, almost 10 percent of Nigeria’s national shortfall, to accommodate its growing population.

“This is not just an economic issue; it’s a human rights crisis. The Nigerian Constitution recognises shelter as a right, yet millions remain homeless, especially in our capital city,” Lawal declared.

The broader picture is bleak: Nigeria is facing a housing deficit estimated between 17 and 28 million units, and while demand calls for 900,000 new homes each year, only 100,000 are being built, leaving cities like Abuja to contend with overcrowded slums and rising homelessness.

To bridge this gap, CODE is calling for the creation of a National Housing Data Centre for reliable planning, inclusive land reforms, and incentives for productive land use.

The organisation is also advocating for affordable financing models such as rent-to-own schemes, micro-mortgages, and housing cooperatives.

Meanwhile, BraveRock’s Managing Director, Usman Zambuk, pledged to scale up operations across the country, including expanding further in Abuja and Lagos.

He warned, however, that Nigeria’s housing challenge is compounded by “runaway construction costs, land inflation, and interest rates that can hit 35%—making affordability impossible for ordinary Nigerians.”

Zambuk described Abuja’s housing emergency as a multi-dimensional crisis, where economic hardship, urban sprawl, and social exclusion intersect.

“The number of informal settlements is rising, and people are being pushed further to the margins,” he said.

Both organisations are calling on the federal government to reinforce housing interventions like the Family Home Fund and National Housing Fund with stronger financial backing, while also pushing for a new culture of green, cost-effective building using local materials.

With just five years to the SDG 2030 deadline, Abuja’s housing shortfall stands as a pressing call for collaborative action, before the dream of affordable shelter becomes entirely out of reach.