Abuja: Dangote Cement Plc has urged stakeholders in the housing industry to consider budget-friendly mass housing schemes for Nigerians. Speaking at the ongoing Africa International Housing Show, the National Sales Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Dolapo Alli, emphasized the need for collaboration to achieve affordable housing in the country.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Alli stated that addressing housing issues requires the collaboration of various stakeholders, including government agencies, private developers, non-profits, and communities. He suggested that the government could adopt public-private partnerships (PPPs) to support mass housing initiatives. Through PPP models, the government might initiate the construction of new estates while companies and firms in the building and construction sector could be granted tax waivers and credits to facilitate the financing of new and affordable housing developments.
Alli, who was speaking at the company’s Special Day, highlighted mass housing as one of several strategies used to address the challenge of providing adequate housing for the public. He noted that this approach had helped tackle the pressures of rapid urbanization in numerous countries around the world. While commending the Federal Government’s efforts in implementing mass housing programs, Alli acknowledged that more gaps need to be covered.
He pointed out Nigeria’s commendable steps toward addressing the critical gap in access to affordable housing finance through the Renewed Hope Housing Initiative. This initiative signals a strong commitment to making home ownership more accessible for citizens, particularly low- and middle-income earners. However, given the scale of the nation’s housing deficit-estimated in the millions-much more needs to be done. Alli stressed the pressing need for broader collaboration across public and private sectors to unlock innovative financing solutions, streamline regulatory processes, and scale up delivery to meet the growing demand for decent and affordable housing.
Alli identified several challenges affecting the provision of affordable housing in Nigeria, including rapid urbanization, population growth, knowledge gaps in housing, high costs of land acquisition, and rising construction material costs. Other issues include the lack of basic infrastructure, inaccurate housing demographics, and limited access to long-term, low-cost financing.
He expressed that the continued participation of the company in the Africa International Housing Show stems from the conviction that the gathering has made a meaningful impact by generating ideas and fostering partnerships that contribute to providing shelter for Nigerians. Alli urged governments at all levels to implement effective policies and make land available for mass housing in Nigeria. Dangote Cement Plc is one of the sponsors of the Africa International Housing Show (AIHS), which concludes on Friday.