ABUJA/Nigeria: Efforts to close Africa’s widening housing gap will only succeed if governments, financial institutions, developers and policymakers work together to remove the barriers preventing millions from owning decent homes, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Afriland Properties Plc, Azubike Emodi, has said.
Speaking at the 20th Africa International Housing Show (AIHS) in Abuja, Emodi argued that affordable housing should be driven by a coordinated ecosystem rather than expecting property developers to shoulder the burden alone. He maintained that policy reforms, improved access to finance and supporting infrastructure remain critical to delivering homes that ordinary citizens can afford.
He made the remarks during a panel discussion on housing solutions for the informal sector, where experts examined the structural changes required to make affordable housing more accessible across Africa.
According to Emodi, rising construction costs, limited financing options, infrastructure deficits and regulatory bottlenecks continue to constrain developers despite growing demand for housing.
He stressed that reducing building costs, improving access to affordable mortgages and creating investor-friendly policies would encourage greater private sector participation while expanding housing supply.
“The real shift starts with bringing everyone into the housing conversation because the challenge must be addressed from every angle,” Emodi said.
He added that housing should only be considered affordable when it reflects the income levels and aspirations of the people it is intended to serve, noting that affordability goes beyond the price of a building.
The discussion brought together housing experts and policymakers from several African countries, including Kenya and Liberia, to exchange ideas on practical strategies for addressing the continent’s housing deficit.
Among the participants were Stephen Wanjala of Housing and Development Finance Africa, Jane Lumumba of UN-Habitat Kenya, Kamau Kamande, and the Managing Director of Liberia’s National Housing Authority, Hon. Florence Kataeka Geegbae.
The Africa International Housing Show, now in its 20th edition, remains one of the continent’s leading housing and urban development platforms, providing governments, investors and industry stakeholders with opportunities to explore partnerships, investment prospects and policy initiatives aimed at expanding access to affordable housing across Africa.
