By Kingsley Adegboye 

As preparations intensify for the 19th edition of the Africa International Housing Show (AIHS), organisers of the annual housing show have launched an aggressive campaign to attract local and international investors into the African real estate sector, highlighting its enormous economic potential and untapped opportunities. 

The event is scheduled to take place from July 27th to August 1st, 2025, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

Tagged Africa’s biggest platform for housing, construction, and urban development, AIHS 2025 aims to position the continent’s real estate market as a viable investment destination amid increasing demand for affordable housing, infrastructure growth, and policy reforms across Africa.

The Coordinator of AIHS and Executive Director of Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN), Festus Adebayo, stated that the 2025 edition will serve as a powerful convergence point for investors, developers, government agencies, financial institutions, and policy leaders from across the globe. 

He emphasised that real estate remains one of the most resilient and scalable sectors on the continent.

“We are inviting serious investors from within and outside Africa to explore the vast potential in the real estate and construction sector,” Adebayo said. 

“With housing contributing significantly to Nigeria’s GDP and urban population expanding rapidly, now is the time to build the right partnerships, ” he further noted. 

According to industry data, Nigeria’s real estate sector contributed 5.2 percent to the nation’s GDP in 2024, demonstrating the sector’s vital role in economic growth. 

With a housing deficit of over 22 million units in Nigeria alone, and similar gaps in countries like Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, and Liberia, AIHS is making a bold call to action for investors to tap into this demand.

AIHS 2025 will feature a dynamic lineup of activities and participants, including over 400 exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge housing and construction products, innovative building technologies, mortgage and finance strategies and locally sourced construction materials. 

The event is expected to attract more than 40,000 participants from over 26 countries, creating a truly global platform for dialogue and collaboration. 

Attendees can look forward to dedicated sessions on key issues such as Diaspora Housing, Affordable Housing Finance, Climate-Resilient Development, Women in Real Estate and Public-Private Partnerships. 

A major highlight of the event will be high-level engagements with delegations from ministries, multilateral organizations including Shelter Afrique, the World Bank, and IFC as well as top-tier property developers and investors from across Africa, Dubai, India and beyond. 

Also, the event will host the Best of AIHS Awards, which will celebrate excellence and innovation in the built environment. 

This year’s event with the theme “Reimagining Housing Challenges into Opportunities: Through Innovation, Collaboration, and Policy” is supported by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development under the leadership of Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa.

AIHS has also confirmed participation from over five African Ministers of Housing, and will host a special investment forum focused on unlocking funding for large-scale residential, affordable and mixed-use developments across the continent.

“Africa cannot continue to import all its building solutions. This is the time to promote local content, attract Foreign Direct Investment, and bridge the infrastructure gap with action. AIHS is providing the platform,” Adebayo said.

With rising investor interest from the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, AIHS 2025 is expected to drive multi-million-dollar conversations on real estate development, funding structures, land reform, and sustainable construction.

Investors, developers, and policymakers are encouraged to register early and reserve exhibition space.