Minister pushes for youth empowerment in housing sector

By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Yusuf Atah, has made a case for empowerment of the Nigerian youths in the housing sector as a bold move to deepen inclusivity and address the yawning housing deficit in Nigeria, particularly, among young Nigerian.

Atah said this in a statement signed by his aide, Seyi Olorunsola.

The Minister revealed that a dedicated drive to promote youth participation and homeownership as a pathway to social stability and empowerment has been launched.

“This intervention builds upon and complements the Renewed Hope Housing Programme under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, designed to inject fresh momentum into affordable housing delivery nationwide.

“The Renewed Hope Housing Programme, under the stewardship of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, is the flagship housing intervention of the current administration.

“It targets the delivery of 50,000 housing units across Nigeria in its first phase, via integrated Renewed Hope Cities and Renewed Hope Estates, with additional units to follow under public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements,” the Statement stated.

According to Atah, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in February 2024 inaugurated a 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City in Karsana, Abuja.

He said the Ministry recently completed its second leg of groundbreaking, initiating construction of 2,000 units across eight states in the south-east, south-south, southwest, and north-central regions.

The Statement added that: “The programme mandates affordability and flexibility in access: using single-digit interest NHF (National Housing Fund) mortgage loans, rent-to-own schemes via the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), installment payment plans, and outright purchases as viable options.

“The Ministry has also launched an online delivery portal to streamline registration, property selection, financial eligibility, and award issuance, removing layers of bureaucratic friction.

“In December 2024, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) opened bids for Renewed Hope projects across 17 states, demonstrating the scale of implementation and demand.

“The initial 1,250 units under construction across four states are already underway, creating an estimated 31,250 direct and indirect jobs in the construction, supply, and allied sectors.”

Atah maintained that, “the Renewed Hope initiative is positioned not only as a housing delivery mechanism, but also as a job creation engine, a stimulus for local content, and an instrument for economic growth.

“Yet, despite the ambition and momentum, critics and stakeholders alike note that much more must be done to ensure that the most marginalized—particularly youth—are not left out of access to housing.”

Against this backdrop, Atah has resolved to embed youth empowerment as a core operating principle within the Housing Ministry’s interventions

Atah insisted that: “Homeownership is more than an asset. It anchors dignity, stability, responsibility—and when youth are firmly embedded in home-ownership programs, we begin to tame the negative societal vices associated with restlessness, festiveness, and hopelessness.”

While the overall Renewed Hope supply is open to citizens of all income brackets, the Minister advocated for dedicated quotas or preferential terms (such as lower down-payments or extended repayment periods) specifically for young applicants, to ease entry barriers.

“The Renewed Hope housing drive has launched Nigeria onto a promising trajectory. But its success will be incomplete if we fail to weave the aspirations of youth into its fabric. I pledge that under my watch, youth will cease to be bystanders—they will be active beneficiaries, owners, and stewards of Nigeria’s housing future,” Atah said.