ABUJA, NIGERIA — African leaders must prioritize housing in their national budgets and policy agendas, treating shelter as a high-return economic investment rather than a cost, experts declared at the closing ceremony and award presentation of the 2026 Africa International Housing Show (AIHS).
Delivering key remarks at the event, Barrister Festus Adebayo, Convener of the AIHS, stated that the primary reason Africa continues to suffer a massive housing deficit is a lack of political will from the continent’s leadership.
”Why are we not getting there? The solid answer is a lack of political will on the part of leadership across African countries to prioritize housing policy,” Adebayo said. “They should not view housing as an expenditure, but as an investment. When you invest in housing, the economy transforms, and diverse categories of jobs are created.”
Adebayo emphasized that no single entity can bridge the continent’s shelter gap in isolation. Reaching low- and middle-income earners—such as civil servants, street traders, tailors, and drivers—requires deep collaboration among governments, private developers, and international development agencies.
”Housing is fundamental,” Adebayo added. “Government has a duty to protect lives and property, but how do you effectively protect the life and property of a homeless person?”
Echoing these remarks, Dr. Emmanuel Akinwumi, a board member of the AIHS and former expert with the African Development Bank, urged African nations to look at global best practices. Drawing on his experience across Europe, North America, and Africa, Akinwumi noted that affordable housing has never succeeded anywhere in the world without government incentives and enabling policies.
”Solving this issue is not rocket science, but affordable housing will remain mere rhetoric without direct government support,” Akinwumi warned. “While we are not asking governments to do it alone, they must provide the framework—land, infrastructure, tax holidays, access roads, utilities, and internet connectivity—to reduce development costs for private investors.”
Akinwumi also called for greater financial inclusion across the continent’s housing sector. He urged financial institutions and policymakers to expand mortgage access beyond formal salary earners to include self-employed individuals, women, youth, persons with disabilities, and workers in the informal sector.
According to the speakers, one of the central resolutions of the 2026 show is an urgent, unified call to action for African heads of state: elevate housing to the top of national agendas, enable private sector participation, and ensure every African has access to decent, affordable housing or rental options.
