The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Footstool Estates Limited, Richard Augustine, has called for stronger collaboration between the government and private sector developers to address Nigeria’s housing deficit, saying affordable housing can only become a reality through deliberate policy reforms, improved access to land and sustainable financing.
Augustine, in a statement issued on Wednesday on the state of housing in Nigeria, said affordable housing should not be mistaken for low-cost construction but should instead be seen as the delivery of decent, high-quality homes that are within the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
“Housing is one of the basic needs of man. After food and clothing, everyone deserves a decent place to live. Affordable housing is not about building cheap houses; it is about ensuring that every Nigerian has access to comfortable and sustainable shelter,” he said.
He identified limited access to land, rising construction costs, inconsistent government policies and weak trust within the real estate sector as some of the major factors responsible for the country’s growing housing deficit.
According to him, land remains the foundation of every housing project, making transparent and efficient land administration critical to reducing the cost of housing.
