Nigeria Woos Foreign Investors with $2.25tn Real Estate Opportunity
Nigeria’s Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has called on international investors to capitalise on the country’s vast real estate market, highlighting a projected market volume of $2.25 trillion by the end of 2025. Speaking at the Saudi Real Estate Forum, Dangiwa positioned Nigeria’s housing sector as a lucrative frontier, particularly under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme.
Addressing a panel discussion themed Balance and Innovation in the Real Estate Landscape, Dangiwa underscored Nigeria’s persistent housing deficit—estimated at 28 million units—as both a challenge and an opportunity for large-scale investment.
“Nigeria’s real estate sector contributed around 5.2 per cent to GDP in 2024,” he noted. “Despite this, the demand for affordable homes continues to outstrip supply, making residential real estate a highly attractive segment for investors.”
With rapid urbanisation accelerating demand, the government is actively seeking partnerships through public-private initiatives, innovative financing mechanisms, and streamlined land acquisition processes. According to Dangiwa, state governments are being engaged to unlock land for affordable housing projects, a key hurdle in Nigeria’s real estate landscape.
The forum, which also featured Qatar’s Minister of Municipality, Abdullah Al-Attiya, and the Maldives’ Minister of Construction, Housing, and Infrastructure, Abdulla Muththalib, provided a platform for global stakeholders to discuss sustainable solutions in housing development.
Dangiwa framed Nigeria’s housing sector as central to economic growth and social stability, but warned that achieving a balance between affordability and profitability would require strategic interventions.
“Housing is a fundamental driver of economic development,” he said. “For Nigeria to bridge the housing gap, we must align policy incentives with private sector ambitions while ensuring cost efficiency and sustainability.”
With Nigeria’s government pledging greater regulatory support and investment-friendly policies, the pitch to foreign investors is clear: the country’s real estate sector is primed for expansion, and the time to enter the market is now.
