The Federal Government says Nigeria has recorded more than 650 building collapses and over 1,600 deaths in the last 52 years, with many cases ending without sanctions for those responsible.

Speaking at a stakeholders' workshop in Abuja, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, said most collapsed buildings had designers, builders and approving officers, yet few were held accountable.

The minister said the country's housing sector requires urgent reforms, citing the low performance of the National Housing Fund. He noted that about six million Nigerians contribute between ₦120 billion and ₦150 billion annually to the fund through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, but fewer than 500 mortgages are booked each year.

He also called for the establishment of a National Housing Industry Regulatory Commission, a national housing data observatory and reforms to expand access to the National Housing Fund for traders, artisans and commercial drivers.