The Federal Government has launched a Housing Fraud Reporting Portal, a digital tool designed to tackle fraudulent practices in Nigeria’s housing sector by providing citizens with a channel to submit complaints, upload evidence, and monitor the outcome of their cases.
Announced by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development on Tuesday, the initiative is being touted as a major breakthrough in the fight against real estate fraud. The platform, which can be accessed through https://reports.fmhud.gov.ng, promises Nigerians a safe and straightforward way to hold fraudulent actors accountable.
According to the Ministry’s statement, “The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has launched a Housing Fraud Reporting web-based platform aimed at allowing citizens to report incidents of fraud in housing estates. The platform with the sub-domain name https://reports.fmhud.gov.ng, enables users to submit complaints and share relevant evidence and information on fraudulent practices in the real estate sector in the country.”
The Ministry confirmed that all reports will be thoroughly reviewed in partnership with professional organizations, judicial authorities, and enforcement agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
At the launch event, technical demonstrations were conducted by Freestone Investments Limited and Prunedge Development Technologies Limited, the two firms that collaborated with the Ministry on the project.
In a complementary effort, the Ministry also introduced the Contract Performance and Compliance Project Monitoring System. This second digital tool allows for real-time evaluation of contractors, monitoring of ongoing housing projects, and a central repository for contracts, certificates, and financial documentation.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, explained that the reforms are in line with the 2012 National Housing Policy, which called for better regulation of the industry, stricter certification of estate developers, and robust safeguards against fraudulent practices.
Deputy Director and Head of the Ministry’s ICT Department, Dr. Marcus Amiolemen, stressed that the collaboration with the EFCC will strengthen tracking and enforcement of reported fraud cases.
This development represents a turning point in government’s strategy to sanitize the real estate sector and boost investor and citizen confidence nationwide.