The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Muttaqha Darma, has called for synergy among government agencies in the housing sector to improve coordination and accelerate housing delivery.

Darma made the call in Abuja on Monday at the stakeholders’ conference on the proposed National Real Estate Regulatory Authority (NRERA).

The conference, themed “One vision, One Ecosystem, One National Housing and Real Estate Plan”, was organised by the Office of the Speaker, House of Representatives, and the House Committee on Housing and Habitat.

The minister said the lack of coordination among government agencies had affected the effective delivery of houses to Nigerians, noting that institutions in the sector operated independently.

“The players within the industry, all of us, operate in silos.

“Federal Housing Authority (FHA) does not even know what the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) is doing. FMBN does not know what the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) is doing,” he said.

According to him, the various institutions must work together towards a common goal rather than operate independently.

“Our target is to build houses for Nigerians. We are wasting our time because if we fail, it is us who fail, not the President,” he said.

The minister expressed support for the establishment of NRERA, saying the proposed authority would address the regulatory gaps in the real estate sector.

He said the ministry had reviewed the proposed legislation and recognised its potential to improve the sector.

Darma also disclosed that abandoned housing projects funded by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) across the country were worth about N38 billion.

He said a survey conducted by the ministry revealed abandoned FMBN-funded housing developments in every state of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.

“We realised about N38 billion of contributors’ money, your own money, all the Nigerian workers’ money. N38 billion is wasted,” he said.

He said that the poor management of workers’ contributions could discourage Nigerians from contributing to the National Housing Fund.

The minister urged the committee handling the proposed legislation to ensure that state governments were included in the regulatory framework.

He also called for safeguards to protect homebuyers, tenants, developers and mortgage lenders, including mandatory escrow accounts for buyers and standardised tenancy agreements.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Dr Armstrong Takang, said effective regulation was necessary to restore investor confidence in Nigeria’s real estate sector.

Takang said the sector contributed 12.71 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of June 2026, but remained largely unregulated.

He said the absence of a national licensing system had allowed unqualified individuals to operate as estate agents and developers without adequate accountability.

“Anyone can sell land, anyone can collect off-plan payments, run into tens of billions and get away with it. There are very few countries in the world where these are allowed,” he said.

He called for mandatory licensing of real estate operators and the protection of buyers’ funds through designated project accounts.

“An operator must be licensed with the authorities. No one should be operating in the real estate sector without a licence, no matter which part of the value chain they are involved in,” he said.

He added that buyers’ funds should be kept in protected project accounts and released to developers based on evidence of progress on construction.

Takang said effective regulation would attract domestic and foreign investment, protect citizens and support the Federal Government’s one-trillion-dollar economy target.

He urged the National Assembly to ensure the passage of the proposed legislation, describing it as critical to bringing order and transparency to the real estate sector.

From Tony Nwachukwu, Lagos

Fintech company OPay has announced the postponement of its planned public offering on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), following careful consideration of an ongoing inquiry by a regulatory authority.

The company said the decision to postpone the offering was taken in the best interests of the business and its customers.

In a statement shared with DAILY ASSET, OPay explained that the ongoing inquiry does not affect the services it provides to customers or how it operates in Nigeria and its other business markets.

The company also reassured customers, merchants, agents and other business partners that its operations would continue as usual, with all services remaining fully available.

“Customers can continue sending and receiving money, making payments and saving without interruption,” the statement noted.

OPay expressed appreciation to its customers, merchants, agents, business partners, employees and other stakeholders for their continued trust and support.

The company also reiterated its commitment to making financial services more inclusive through technology

Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Olaniyi Yusuf has urged the Federal Government to translate economic reforms into tangible results, including job creation, increased productivity and improved living standards.

Yusuf made the call on Monday in Abuja at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit (NES32), themed “Growth That Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity”.

He said Nigeria’s economic reforms had created an opportunity to strengthen the foundations for socio-economic development, in spite of the pressures on households and businesses.

“Our responsibility now is to ensure that reforms translate into stronger enterprises, better jobs, more productive workers, rising incomes, improved living standards and shared prosperity,” Yusuf said.

He said recent measures, including petroleum subsidy removal, foreign exchange reforms, fiscal restructuring and banking sector reforms, were necessary to address economic distortions.

However, he said macroeconomic stabilisation alone would not automatically translate into broad-based economic growth or improved citizens’ welfare.

Yusuf said households needed decent jobs, stronger purchasing power, and improved security and reduced poverty, while businesses required lower production costs, reliable electricity and affordable financing.

According to him, Nigeria must sustain economic stabilisation while prioritising practical measures to improve productivity and expand economic opportunities.

He said the summit’s theme reflected the need to measure economic success by the quality of jobs created, business competitiveness and the extent to which prosperity reached Nigerians.

Yusuf identified productivity, human capital development and resilience as key priorities for achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

He said investments in education, healthcare, nutrition and relevant skills would improve workers’ productivity and prepare young Nigerians for employment.

The NESG chairman also called for improved infrastructure, predictable regulations, fair competition and an efficient legal system to encourage private investment and business expansion.

Yusuf said Nigeria’s economic performance presented a mixed picture, with improvements in some macroeconomic indicators alongside persistent challenges affecting businesses and households.

He noted that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.43 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 3.89 per cent in the first quarter.

Yusuf, however, expressed concern over persistent food inflation, high production costs, unreliable electricity, expensive financing and inadequate infrastructure.

According to him, a slowdown in inflation does not necessarily mean that goods have become affordable, as households continue to grapple with elevated prices.

Yusuf urged policymakers to prioritise productive investments, effective public expenditure and measures to address poverty, food insecurity and gaps in access to essential services.

He also called for stronger links between education and employment through technical and vocational training, digital skills and industry relevant learning.

The NESG chairman identified agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing, construction, tourism and digital services as sectors with opportunities to expand productive employment.

He said the private sector remained central to Nigeria’s economic transformation but required an enabling environment to invest, produce and create jobs.

Yusuf urged businesses to invest in technology, workforce skills, local supply chains and export competitiveness, while calling on the government to improve infrastructure and ensure regulatory predictability.

He emphasised the need to assess the actual impact of reforms rather than merely documenting policies introduced or activities undertaken.

Yusuf said commitments arising from the summit should include clear institutional responsibilities, realistic timelines, measurable indicators and periodic reviews to ensure accountability.

He called on the government, businesses, development partners and other stakeholders to work together to translate economic stability into investment, productivity, employment and shared prosperity.

Yusuf said the ultimate test of the summit would be whether its deliberations produced tangible improvements in the lives of farmers, manufacturers, entrepreneurs and young people seeking decent jobs.

He urged participants to develop practical solutions and measurable commitments that would continue to deliver results beyond the summit.