By Jumoke Olaitan
Stakeholders in the built industry have called for a stronger partnership among government, private investors, cooperatives and home buyers to increase access to affordable housing in Nigeria.
They made the call at the 2026 Cooperative Housing Summit Africa (CHOSA) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the Convener and Founder, Nigeria Integrated Social Housing Cooperative Ltd. (NISH), Mr Saheed Adelakun, said affordable housing could not be achieved through the traditional Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model alone.
Adelakun said people who would lived in the houses must also be involved in housing projects, describing the approach as a Public-Private-People Partnership (PPPP).
According to him, many Nigerians, including civil servants, can no longer afford homes because of rising housing costs.
“We need houses that low and middle-income earners can afford. This is possible if the government, developers, cooperatives and home buyers work together,” he said.
Adelakun said cooperative housing could help people access affordable homes through collective savings, better financing opportunities and stronger bargaining power.
He urged governments to continue to support affordable housing as it would go a long way in helping Nigerians own a house.
”The government must continue to encourage private sector involvement through land equity, partnerships, and tax breaks.”
Also speaking, the President of the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Mrs Hannatu Mershak, said cooperatives remained important tools for providing affordable housing and financial services to millions of Nigerians.
Mershak said the federation had more than 50,000 cooperatives and over 30 million members across the country they are servicing.
She called for greater collaboration among government, financial institutions, private investors and cooperatives to address housing challenges.
“Government must provide supportive policies, financial institutions must provide funding, while cooperatives will help mobilise and organise beneficiaries,” she said.
She also called for transparency in the implementation of housing initiatives, noting that openness would strengthen public confidence, encourage wider participation and support efforts to deliver affordable housing to all.
”I want to encourage that in doing this, there must be transparency. By so doing, people will trust the system, people will be able to align with what is happening.
“If this is done, we will be able to achieve this desire of affordable housing to all,” she said.
Earlier, the Minister of Housing and Urban Devwlopment, Dr Muttaqha Darma, commended the organisers for convening the summit, describing cooperative housing as a critical solution to Africa’s housing challenges.
Darma, was representated by Samuel Pemi, Director of Public Buildings and Housing Development of the ministry.
He added that cooperative systems offered practical pathways for expanding access to affordable home ownership through collective savings and shared responsibility.
He noted that digital finance would play a major role in improving transparency, access to credit and mortgage administration, particularly for citizens in both formal and informal sectors.
Darma also reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with stakeholders to promote affordable housing, strengthen housing finance systems and support sustainable urban development across Nigeria and Africa.
The two-day summit has as its theme: “Catalysing Adequate Housing for All Through Cooperatives”
The summit attracted policymakers, cooperative leaders, developers, financiers, fintech firms and housing experts from across Africa.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Funmilayo Adeyemi
