By Adedapo Adesanya

The federal government has said it would prioritize the use of local materials to drive its new reform agenda that will close the housing deficit in the country.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, at the 14th National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development meeting on Monday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

He said Nigeria’s housing deficit, estimated in tens of millions, remains one of the most pressing social and economic challenges, driven by rapid urbanisation, population growth and rising construction costs, noting that the new policy framework is expected to shape housing delivery, land administration and urban development planning across the federation in the coming years.

Speaking at the event, the Minister, represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics of the ministry, Mr Mukhtar Ilyasu, said the government has placed effective land management at the centre of its housing delivery strategy, describing land administration as the foundation for expanding access to affordable housing nationwide.

According to him, urban renewal and regeneration have now been adopted as national policy tools for modernising Nigerian cities, addressing uncontrolled urban growth and responding to population pressure and climate challenges.

He said the government is also prioritising the large-scale adoption of locally sourced building materials and technologies as a cost reduction strategy aimed at making housing more affordable while strengthening domestic construction industries.

“Effective land management remains the foundation of housing delivery in Nigeria. Without fixing land administration, it will be difficult to close the country’s housing deficit.

“Urban renewal and regeneration have been adopted as national policy tools for rebuilding Nigerian cities, addressing uncontrolled urban growth and improving the quality of life of our citizens.

“The promotion of locally sourced building materials and technologies is now a policy priority to reduce construction costs, deepen local industry and improve housing affordability.”

“Federal and state governments are being aligned under a unified housing and urban development agenda to ensure coordinated implementation and results driven execution”, he said.

Mr Dangiwa added that public private partnerships will serve as the main engine for mass housing and urban infrastructure delivery across the federation.

The government, he noted, will provide policy support, land governance reforms and investment frameworks to attract private capital into the sector.

To support the new direction, he said the FG is strengthening national land governance frameworks to promote inclusive urban growth and remove long standing bottlenecks in land administration that have slowed housing development.

The minister said the new policy thrust further includes innovative housing finance and investment strategies designed to unlock long term funding for real estate development and bridge Nigeria’s widening housing gap.

He stressed that federal and state governments are being aligned under a unified housing and urban development agenda to ensure coordinated implementation and results driven execution.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Department of State Service (DSS) has arrested former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, shortly after his release from Kuje prison in Abuja on Monday.

He was reportedly arrested to face a fresh probe over arms allegedly discovered in his house in Birnin-Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, last December.

Recall that two weeks ago, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the former AGF and two others bail in the sum of N500 million.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed a 16-count alleged money laundering charge against Mr Malami, his son, Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Mrs Asabe Bashir.

The DSS operatives reportedly arrested him as he was exiting the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, where he had been held since December 30, 2025, over the pending N8.7 billion money laundering charges filed by the anti-graft agency.

Monday’s arrest followed weeks of reports of surveillance by the secret police in front of the prison facility since the time Mr Malami, his wife and son were remanded there over the money laundering charges.

As per reports, Mr Malami had gathered that he would be picked up upon regaining his temporary freedom decided to wait. However, after his eventual emergence, the DSS operatives took the ex-AGF into detention again.

In a press statement by Mr Malami’s aide, Mr Mohammed Doka, shared on the former AGF’s Facebook page on January 7, the planned arrest of the legal practitioner was confirmed.

The post, the latest on the Facebook page as of Tuesday morning, said the former minister’s camp had been “reliably informed of plans by government security agencies to rearrest him immediately upon his release, despite being granted bail by a court of competent jurisdiction.”

“This development is deeply troubling and raises grave concerns about due process, the rule of law, and personal safety,” the statement added, describing the allegations informing the planned arrest as “trumped-up charges”.

Mr Malami’s arrest on Monday began the third phase of his ongoing detention by various agencies since December 8, 2025.

The EFCC detained him from 8 December 2025 to 30 December 2025, when the Federal High Court in Abuja where he and his family members face money laundering charges transferred him to the Correctional Centre in Kuje, Abuja, following his arraignment.

The trial court granted him bail on 7 January but only for him to be rearrested by the SSS upon his release after meeting the bail conditions on Monday.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Vice President Kashim Shettima has formally opened the Nigeria House in Davos as the 2026 World Economic Forum kicks off in Switzerland.

The unveiling, which took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, marks the first time Nigeria is establishing a House in Davos.

The Nigeria House is designed to serve as a strategic hub for engaging global investors and promoting key sectors of the Nigerian economy.

The facility will provide a platform for investment discussions, partnerships and policy engagements aimed at attracting foreign direct investment into the country.

Members of the Nigerian delegation, alongside foreign partners and stakeholders, were present at the official opening of the Nigeria House.

Speaking on the initiative, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole, said Nigeria is showcasing four major investment areas at the forum—solid minerals, sustainable agriculture, the creative industry and the digital economy.

The country said it will use this year’s Davos forum to press its case as a stable, reforming economy at a time when global investors are pulling back from emerging markets and geopolitical tensions are reshaping capital flows.

The forum’s theme, The Spirit of Dialogue, aligns with Nigeria’s strategy of pairing macroeconomic reforms with sustained engagement with investors, development partners, and global policymakers.

“At a time of heightened uncertainty, the world is looking to Nigeria as a pillar of economic stability in Africa — not only because of its size, but because of the reform choices it has made,” according to the Ministry of Finance.

“This positioning places Nigeria firmly within the global dialogue on how emerging markets can navigate volatility while sustaining reform momentum.”

According to the ministry, Nigeria’s message in Davos is straightforward: the country intends to stay the course on market-oriented reforms, maintain macroeconomic discipline, and protect institutional credibility, including the operational independence of the Central Bank of Nigeria, as a foundation for price stability and investor confidence.

Meetings in Davos will focus on deepening dialogue with global investors, development finance institutions, credit ratings agencies, and multinational companies.

The aim, according to the ministry, is to address lingering concerns around policy consistency, foreign-exchange stability, inflation, and fiscal sustainability, while reinforcing Nigeria’s ambition to act as a reform anchor in Africa’s largest economy.