The federal government has begun talks with Saudi Arabia on a possible partnership aimed at attracting investment, expanding housing development and strengthening infrastructure delivery across Nigeria.

The discussions took place Wednesday when the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, received the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Nigeria, Yousef Bin Muhammad Al-Balawi, during a courtesy visit in Abuja.

Both sides explored areas of cooperation in housing development, infrastructure investment and opportunities for Saudi developers to participate in Nigeria’s housing sector. 

They also discussed the upcoming Riyadh Real Estate Future Forum, scheduled to hold in January next year.

Darma said Nigeria’s growing population and housing deficit made international partnerships necessary to achieve the government’s target of providing more affordable homes.

He noted that the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda placed priority on expanding access to decent housing and improving infrastructure, adding that collaboration with countries that have successfully delivered large-scale housing projects would help Nigeria meet its goals.

The minister described Nigeria as Africa’s largest country with huge demand for housing and infrastructure, saying partnerships with experienced countries such as Saudi Arabia would help accelerate housing delivery and attract more private investment into the sector.

He said increased cooperation between both countries could also create jobs, strengthen economic ties and improve access to affordable housing for Nigerians.

Speaking during the meeting, Ambassador Al-Balawi said Saudi Arabia was ready to work with Nigeria in addressing its housing challenges.

He added that the Kingdom had made significant progress in housing development through its National Housing Company, which had delivered large-scale residential projects across Saudi Arabia.