Tinubu swears in Darma as Housing Minister, tasks him on national development
…new minister targets 20m housing deficit with innovation1 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday swore in Dr Muttaqha Darma as Minister of Housing and Urban Development, charging him to deploy
…new minister targets 20m housing deficit with innovation1
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday swore in Dr Muttaqha Darma as Minister of Housing and Urban Development, charging him to deploy his experience in advancing the administration’s housing and urban renewal agenda.
The oath of office was administered at a brief ceremony at the State House, Abuja, following Darma’s confirmation by the Senate.
He replaces Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, who recently resigned from the Federal Executive Council last week.
Congratulating the new minister, President Tinubu described his appointment as coming at a “very challenging time of national development,” and urged him to bring his expertise to bear on the sector.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President said, “You have a very rich and interesting background. As a leader, we need competent hands like yours.
“There is no doubt that you have rendered valuable services in all the assignments you have embarked upon. You are a fitting peg in the right position", he said.
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He further urged Darma to remain prepared to serve the nation in any capacity required.
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Dr. Darma, a scholar and development expert, holds a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Liverpool and a PhD in Industrial Engineering from Atlantic International University in the United States.
He also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bayero University, Kano, and a Master’s in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Benin.
A member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and the Nigerian Institute of Management, he previously served as Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund between 2008 and 2012.
He also held positions as Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, and Commissioner for Rural and Social Development in Katsina State, among others.
Before his appointment, he was President of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Human Development Centre in Katsina, and has contributed to academia as a lecturer at Bayero University, Kano, with several publications in governance and development.
Speaking with journalists at the State House shortly after his inauguration, the new minister pledged to deploy innovation and strategic thinking to tackle Nigeria’s housing deficit, which he estimated at about 20 million units, affecting over 100 million Nigerians.
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“I feel that I have been given a responsibility. And I know that if you are given responsibility, there are three classes of people who will judge you.
“I must satisfy myself that the work I’m given, I’m doing it well; the people around me will be satisfied, and the general public will also be satisfied. At the end of it all, God Almighty will judge me. I am going to deliver to the best of my ability, and you will see changes in no time”, he said.
Darma acknowledged the enormity of the task, noting that even an ambitious plan to build millions of houses over the next decade would require significant resources.
“That is a tremendous challenge. Even if you say you’re going to build 15 million houses in the next 10 years, it will be difficult and will consume a lot of money,” he said.
Despite the scale of the deficit, he expressed confidence that a reform-driven approach anchored on innovation, efficiency and forward planning would yield results.
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“We are strategic. We are focused. We are forward-looking. We will bring innovation and creativity to ensure that many people who are unhoused will be housed,” he added.
On funding, the minister said he would first undertake a detailed assessment of the ministry’s challenges before outlining solutions.
“I have not gone to the ministry to fully understand the many challenges it is facing. If I know the challenges, I will definitely find ways to solve them,” he stated.
He, however, raised concerns over inefficiencies in government-led housing delivery, contrasting it with the success of private developers.
“In this country today, some of the richest people are estate owners and property developers. They are building houses and selling them, yet government-owned houses are being abandoned. Nobody is coming close to government houses. There must be something wrong,” he said.
The minister noted that the profitability and social prestige associated with private real estate ventures highlight deeper structural issues within public housing frameworks that must be addressed.
