By Joy Odor
The Managing Director of Fesadeb Media Group and Convener of the Africa International Housing Show (AIHS), Barrister Festus Adebayo, has announced that the 2025 edition of Africa’s largest housing and construction forum will focus on driving critical reforms in mortgage systems, increasing government incentives for housing, promoting women’s inclusion, and holding public housing agencies accountable.
Speaking ahead of the event slated for July 27 to August 1, 2025 in Abuja, Adebayo stressed that housing must be treated as a national priority alongside food security, given its potential to boost productivity, improve health, and drive employment.
“Just as the government recapitalized the Bank of Industry to support food production, it should also prioritize housing.
“When the government gives attention to housing, employment will be created, productivity will increase, and national health outcomes will improve” Adebayo stated
He described AIHS 2025 as a platform for robust policy dialogue and practical solutions, adding that the event will push for direct government interventions and incentives to support mass housing delivery.
Adebayo criticized the current state of Nigeria’s mortgage system, lamenting how difficult it remains for average citizens to access housing finance. “Why can’t a person walk into a mortgage bank, show evidence of a steady salary, and own a house? AIHS 2025 will address this challenge head-on,” he assured.
The Convener also underscored the importance of women’s participation in housing discourse.
According to him, Day Two of the event will feature a special session focused on women-led housing solutions, addressing issues such as discriminatory inheritance laws and the lack of access to housing finance for women, widows, and underserved groups.
Representatives from UN Women in Nigeria and Cameroon are expected to join the discussions.
Beyond policy talk, Adebayo said AIHS 2025 will demand transparency and accountability from key public housing agencies and financial institutions, including the Federal Mortgage Bank, the Federal Housing Authority, and the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company.
“We will ask these agencies to present what they’ve achieved—how many mortgages created, houses financed, and workers supported. “We will also engage the Ministry of Finance, which controls ₦250 billion and is targeting ₦1 trillion for housing development. We need to know how that money is being used” he said.
According to Adebayo, the 2025 forum will bring together over 25,000 participants from at least 25 countries, along with 350 to 400 industry exhibitors.
The event, he said, remains a powerful convergence point for professionals, policymakers, developers, and civil society.
He emphasized that the show will not end without concrete takeaways: “Before we leave, we must extract commitments from policymakers and chart a practical way forward.”
AIHS 2025, he added, will also interrogate the persistent failures of federal housing projects and recommend sustainable solutions to avoid repeating past mistakes.
