FG Hails UN-Habitat’s IDP Support, Seeks Wider Climate-Smart Housing

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has praised the EU-funded SIDPIN programme for providing durable housing, enhancing community integration, and improving living conditions for displaced persons and host communities in key states.

The minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, gave the commendation during a high-level meeting with a UN-Habitat delegation at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja. He noted that SIDPIN’s interventions in Adamawa, Kano and Borno align with the ministry’s priorities of rebuilding livelihoods and fostering social cohesion in post-conflict communities.

Dangiwa also acknowledged the agency’s technical support in reviewing the National Urban Development Policy, advancing planning reforms and offering consultancy for the National Land Registration, Documentation and Titling Programme (Land4Growth), as well as urban renewal and slum upgrading initiatives.

He stressed that such interventions are critical as Nigeria grapples with rapid urbanisation, which requires coordinated planning, sustainable infrastructure, and climate-responsive development.

He, however, expressed concern that budgetary constraints are slowing the pace and limiting the scale of implementation of key programmes, particularly those focused on climate-responsive housing and urban resilience. According to him, the situation underscores the need for innovative financing mechanisms beyond traditional government allocations.

The minister highlighted opportunities within the partnership to unlock international climate finance, mobilise resources for social housing targeted at vulnerable groups and promote women-focused housing initiatives, noting that women are disproportionately affected by climate change and conflict-induced displacement.

While reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to its Memorandum of Understanding with UN-Habitat, Dangiwa said the collaboration could accelerate affordable housing delivery and help build resilient, inclusive and climate-smart cities nationwide. He also assured that the ministry would participate in the forthcoming Africa Urban Forum in Nairobi and the World Urban Forum.

Earlier, the Head of UN-Habitat’s West Africa Hub in Dakar, Mathias Spaliviero, reaffirmed the agency’s strong institutional partnership with Nigeria, stressing that collaboration remains a priority irrespective of funding cycles.

He outlined ongoing joint programmes implemented with the International Organisation for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, focusing on sustainable and durable solutions for internally displaced persons through structured urban integration strategies across several conflict-affected states.

Spaliviero said the multi-scale planning approach adopted by the programme has yielded encouraging results, with state governments showing increasing ownership and responsiveness, a development he described as crucial for long-term stability and inclusive urban growth.