Dangiwa Harps on Innovative Housing Finance to Tackle Africa’s Affordability Crisis The Hon. Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has called on African Ministers of Housing to embrace innovative housing finance solutions to address Africa’s growing housing affordability crisis affecting the 80 percent of African population. This he said is important given macroeconomic challenges and rising inflationary trends which have impacted incomes and raised the bar on housing affordability.  The Hon. Minister made this call while delivering his opening remarks at the Ministerial Roundtable themed “Innovative Financing for Housing Affordability” on the seconda day of the 43rd Shelter Afrique Development (ShafDB) holding at the Marriott Hotel, in Kigali, Rwanda. The event brought together Ministers, delegates and private sector stakeholders to explore new approaches to alleviate the continent’s housing challenges. Dangiwa highlighted Africa’s housing deficit and the housing affordability crisis affecting over 80% of Africa's population, driven by low incomes, challenging macroeconomic conditions, and escalating living costs. He underscored the critical need for affordable housing solutions targeting low and medium-income households, who are most affected by these economic pressures. “These factors make it increasingly difficult for our citizens to afford decent and quality housing. With each passing year, the affordability bar keeps getting higher. Many households that could afford housing a year ago can no longer do so because of rising cost of building material costs and static incomes. am worried about this because I believe that for us to make impact, we must find ways to design, build and facilitate delivery of affordable houses targeting the 80% of the low and medium-income percentile of our population,” he noted.  Drawing on his experience as the former Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), the Chair 42nd AGM Bureau shared successful initiatives implemented in Nigeria. These initiatives include utilizing government funds to lower housing costs, engaging sub-national governments to provide land free of charge, and creating expandable housing units that can grow with homeowners' needs and financial capacity. Additionally, he highlighted the role of public-private partnerships (PPP) in facilitating collaborations with reputable developers to build affordable homes, incorporating cross-subsidy models to offer some units at subsidized rates. Furthermore, he highlighted efforts in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance to establish a N1 trillion Naira concessional financing window for developers and leveraging pension funds to provide single-digit mortgage loans were presented as key strategies. Hon. Dangiwa stressed the necessity of shifting traditional financing models towards more innovative solutions tailored to Africa's unique contexts. These include empowering low-income families with manageable loans for home improvements, unlocking capital markets to inject liquidity into the housing sector, and expanding access to credit, savings, and insurance through digital financial services, especially in underserved communities. He also acknowledged the potential of private sector-led solutions such as the Shelter Afrique Housing Solutions Fund. This initiative aims to stimulate housing demand and scale supply by providing long-term home loans to eligible buyers, in partnership with participating lending institutions and developers. “For us to move forward and move the needle, we  must have a shift in thinking and approach. We must develop a multi-dimensional strategy to solving it,” he added. Hon. Dangiwa called on all stakeholders, including governments, financial institutions, developers, community organizations, and international partners, to collaborate and share best practices. He emphasized the importance of robust policy frameworks, effective regulatory environments, and transparent governance to create a housing finance ecosystem that leaves no one behind. As the roundtable discussions continue, Hon. Dangiwa urged participants to think boldly and act decisively. He expressed optimism that innovative financing strategies, coupled with collaborative efforts, could transform the future of housing in Africa, ensuring hope, opportunity, and prosperity for all. The event featured presentations from the private sector, discussions by several Ministers of Housing who all harped on the importance of long term financing, low interest mortgage loans to ensure delivery of affordable housing to tackle Africa’s housing challenges.  Kigali, Rwanda – June 12, 2024: ...

Dangiwa Charges Africa's Housing Ministers to Collaborate Towards Tackling Continent's Housing Challenges at 43rd SHAFDB AGM in Kigali   Kigali, Rwanda – June 11, 2024 - The Honorable Minister of Housing and Urban Development and 42nd AGM Bureau Chair of Shelter Afrique Development (ShafDB), Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has urged African housing ministers to work collaboratively to address the continent's pressing housing development challenges. This call to action was made during his opening remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the Bank’s 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) Symposium, holding at the Marriott Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda 11-13th June, 2024.   In attendance at the opening ceremony were the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, represented by the Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. Edouard Ngirente, Ministers of Housing and Public Works from several African countries, organized sector and private sector players.    Stressing the importance of innovative financing, Dangiwa underscored the crucial role of ShafDB as Africa’s premier housing finance institution, stating, "ShafDB is Africa’s housing finance bank, the only such institution that we have. It is therefore important that we all continue to give the bank all the support that it requires to grow, scale in impact and deliver on its mandate." He highlighted the necessity for continued support to the bank to enable it to scale its impact and deliver on its mandate of providing affordable, decent, and quality housing across Africa.   As part of efforts to institutionalize partnerships, the Hon. Minister unveiled plans to launch a Financial Caucus of African Ministers of Housing and Urban Development during the AGM. This platform, he noted, aims to foster synergy, share experiences, and develop innovative measures to bolster housing development across African nations. He emphasized, "The African housing problem is for Africa to solve. And we as Ministers of Housing must recognize that we are the ones responsible for providing the solutions and driving the process towards fixing Africa’s housing challenge." He reiterated that solving Africa’s housing problem requires a unified approach, urging ministers to work together, share lessons, and engage with external stakeholders collectively.    “At the end of this AGM, we also plan to have a Kigali Declaration to signify and communicate our collective desire to Prioritize housing development and commit to taking concrete steps towards making a substantial difference. The Kigali Declaration aims to unify our voices to achieve common goals and tackle shared challenges. It seeks to highlight to the global community the urgent need for coordinated action on climate change, emphasizing its impact on Africa.   It is important to state that the Kigali Declaration will not just be words on paper. We have ensured that it is based on a well-prepared roadmap for "How to Finance and Deliver," leveraging the professional expertise around Shelter Afrique Development Bank. Our aim is to make a difference. And this is possible”, he noted.    Dangiwa also highlighted the critical role of the housing industry in achieving climate ambition and sustainability targets in the face of climate change. He called for a commitment to upholding the laws and statutes governing ShafDB and praised the perseverance and strategic planning that have led to significant achievements over the past year. "Our achievements over the past year underscore the importance of strategic planning and building strong connections," he noted.   Highlighting a major accomplishment, Dangiwa announced the overwhelming support from member States for the ratification of the new statutes during the Extraordinary General Assembly in Algiers. He stated, "This consensus is a significant milestone in our journey to establish the Shelter Afrique Development Bank." Despite some delays in the full ratification process, he emphasized the need to address these challenges promptly to continue the bank's growth trajectory.   The Hon. Minister expressed his gratitude to the President of Rwanda, His Excellency Paul Kagame, and the Government of Rwanda for hosting the AGM. He noted, "The beauty, neatness and orderliness of Kigali and its hospitality is simply breathtaking." Additionally, he thanked the ShafDB Board of Directors, led by Dr. Chii Akporji, for their support throughout his tenure as Chairperson of the 42nd AGM Bureau, acknowledging the significant milestones achieved under their guidance.   In addition, Dangiwa underscored the importance of building robust alliances and sustaining momentum. He expressed confidence in the incoming Chair of the 43rd AGM Bureau, Hon. Dr. Jimmy Gasore, to guide the revitalization process effectively. He said, "I am optimistic and anticipate that the new Chair of the 43rd AGM Bureau possesses the capacity to effectively guide this revitalization process."   Dangiwa expressed his gratitude to all participants for their commitment and collaboration, emphasizing the importance of staying united to overcome new and existing challenges. He stated, "Regardless of the decisions we make, I am confident that we will make them together, as a united body."   Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of ShafDB, Mr. Thierno Hann and the Board Chairperson, Dr. Chii Akporji reinforced the Hon. Minister’s call for collaboration stating that the Bank had undergone significant reforms and reorganization and is now better positioned to deliver on its mandate of providing affordable to citizens of its member countries. They encouraged African countries to double down on their support of the Bank by making timely payments of the capital subscriptions and enabling effective project implementation.  ...

Slums Ugrade, Urban Renewal Projects,  Impactful on Living Conditions of People  - Dangiwa    ..... advocates amendments to national urban planning   Minister of Housing and Urban Development Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has stated that slums upgrade and urban renewal projects have significant impact on the lives and living conditions of the people.    He listed housing upgrade, sanitation, environmental protection, agricultural support, boreholes and solar powered street lights among others, as projects that will enhance aesthetics and functional spaces, as well as impact the economy.   Dangiwa spoke when he hosted the House of Representatives Commitee on Urban Development and Regional Planning who came on an oversight visit to the Ministry.   The minister, in this regard, advocates for constitutional amendment to ensure urban and regional planning is placed in the concurrent list of the constitution and also called for an enactment of a bill for the establishment of National Urban Observatory that would collect urban sector data in order to have effective implementation of urban and regional planning projects.   Accordingly, Dangiwa listed some of the challenges affecting effective implementation of urban development projects as; non availability of reliable human settlements data-store for planning purposes, and inadequate policy back-up and structure for country wide efforts to reposition urban planning and regional development sector, for the benefit of all.   Similarly, the Minister explained some of the activities of the ministry's department of urban development and regional planning which includes, Preparation of National Physical Development Plan, Preparation of Physical Development Plans, Preparation of Urban Resilience and Sustainability Plans.   He further stated that the department is also engaged in Urban Sector Multilateral programmes like; Executive Board Meetings of UN HABITAT, which Nigeria is currently holding the Chair of the Executive Board;  Shelter Afrique (A Pan- African finance) Development Control Directorate, responsible for monitoring and control of development on Federal Government Lands and Estates;  Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrading Programme, under which technical needs assessment studies of Slums in Nigerian cities were conducted.   Earlier, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning,  Honourable Abiante Awaji, said the Committee was in the ministry to fulfill it's  critical part of it's oversight mandate to assess performance, establish effective utilization of resources, identify challenges with a view to ensuring service delivery that would impact the lives of the Nigerian citizens.   He stated that the Oversight Visit was in furtherance of Constitutional mandate of the legislative arm of the government overseeing activities of the executive arm.   ...