African Housing Stakeholders Adopt 24-Point Abuja Declaration To Bridge Housing Deficit

Stakeholders at the 20th Africa International Housing Show (AIHS 2026) have adopted a 24-point Abuja Declaration calling on African governments to make affordable housing a national and continental development priority, particularly for low-income earners and workers in the informal sector.

The declaration, adopted at the close of the week-long conference in Abuja, urged governments across the continent to increase investment in affordable housing, reform land administration, expand access to housing finance and strengthen partnerships with the private sector to address Africa’s growing housing deficit.

Participants at the conference, held under the theme: “Housing Solutions for Low-Income and Informal Workers in Africa,” included ministers, governors, lawmakers, mayors, development finance institutions, multilateral agencies, UN-Habitat, investors, mortgage institutions, housing cooperatives, developers, professionals, researchers, financial institutions, manufacturers, youth leaders and civil society organisations.

Chief executive officer of Financing and Partnership Africa Ltd, Mr Emmanuel Akinwuni, who read the communiqué, said participants unanimously agreed that affordable housing should be recognised as a strategic tool for poverty reduction, job creation and economic growth across the continent.

The declaration called on African countries to develop national affordable housing strategies with measurable annual delivery targets, increase budgetary allocations to housing and supporting infrastructure, and prioritise housing for low-income earners, informal workers, women, youths and persons living with disabilities.

It also urged governments to modernise land administration through digitalisation, simplify land registration processes, reduce transaction costs and establish fast-track approval systems for affordable housing developments.

Participants further recommended that housing finance institutions develop mortgage products tailored to informal sector workers using alternative methods of assessing income, while calling for stronger partnerships among governments, pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions and private investors to mobilise capital for affordable housing.

The communiqué also advocated increased local production of building materials, wider adoption of innovative and alternative construction technologies, and tax incentives for developers delivering verified affordable housing projects.

On urban renewal, participants urged governments to adopt more inclusive approaches to housing development.

“African cities should prioritise slum upgrading, urban regeneration and climate-resilient settlements instead of forced evictions,” the declaration stated.

The communiqué also recommended integrating digital technology, artificial intelligence and data systems into housing planning, land management and mortgage administration, while strengthening transparency, accountability and anti-corruption measures across the real estate sector.

To ensure implementation of the resolutions, AIHS announced plans to establish an Annual Africa Affordable Housing Performance Index to monitor progress by countries, as well as an Africa Housing Innovation Network to promote research, innovation and knowledge exchange across the continent.

Participants also resolved to sustain the 100 Champions of Affordable Housing in Africa initiative, which recognises individuals and institutions making significant contributions to affordable housing delivery.

The declaration further called on the African Union to adopt affordable housing as a continental development priority and encourage member states to implement its recommendations.

The communiqué, unanimously adopted in Abuja on July 18, will be presented to President Bola Tinubu, the African Union, UN-Habitat and African ministers responsible for housing as AIHS’s signature legacy document.

Bar. Festus Adebayo, the executive director, Housing Development Advocacy Nigeria, HDAN, and organiser of the Africa International Housing Show, in an interview urged leaders in the continent to prioritise issues of housing.

“African governments should not see housing as an expenditure but as investment. When you invest in housing, the economy will be transformed and jobs will be created. This is one of the resolutions reached: that we must call on African governments to put housing at the top of their policies,” he said.

The highpoint of the closing ceremony was the conferment of award to individuals and organisations that have distinguished themselves in the housing sector.

The closing ceremony also featured the conferment of awards on individuals and organisations that have distinguished themselves in advancing affordable housing and housing development across Africa.