IS [PUBLIC] HOUSING AN ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN NIGERIA?

The seventh goal of the MDGs is to ensure environmental sustainability which includes as its targets: increasing access to new technologies to support sustainable development by making information about sustainable practices more widespread, and bringing new technologies to rural areas such that people will be able to have better access to information and employment without having to migrate to urban areas; these would without doubt help to system the flow of rural-urban migration and as well stem the growth of slums. Good quality housing as a basic need is lacking for a sizeable number of people around the globe but seem most severe in developing economies including Nigeria. Also few houses are available, especially in the urban centers, to the ever increasing number of workers in both formal and informal sectors. The debates on the direction of housing and welfare policy have often been guided by assumptions derived from a preponderance of Anglo-American cases and perspectives. The purpose of this study is to present an alternative approach to housing policies especially in Nigeria; and we have come to the inescapable conclusion that housing is a social responsibility which cannot be left to the free play of market forces. This study therefore recommends the need to strengthen institutions and overhaul systems and processes for a more virile housing sector such that a balance between the urban housing units and the rural housing units could be attained.

All the states in Nigeria face formidable housing problems in one way or the other.

This paper appraises the Nigerian housing policies from1999 till date vis-à-vis the place of the low-income earners in the policy in having access to affordable housing and decent accommodation as entrenched in the National Housing Policies. The study relies on existing pool of data that has been on by varying number of authors and other literature material published and unpublished. Government gazettes and other policy documents relating to the theme of the study were reviewed. The study method is largely desk top in nature. Virtually all literatures reviewed revealed that despite the laudability of these policies, the policies are structurally deficient as there exit no categorical statements that can adequately help the poor in meeting their housing needs. Where statements exist , event over the years have shown that no government at the three tiers level of government has come up with concrete programs in bringing into reality the desires of the poor to be decently accommodated. Where such policy programs exist, they are only meant for the poor on paper and as a political gimmick. In reality such programs end up more beneficial to the rich at the expense of the low income earners. The study recommends among other things, that government should remove all administrative bottle necks in the policy for ease implementation.

There exists a persistent disparity in available houses in Nigeria with respect to her population. By the last official Census figures in 2006, the population of Nigeria was put at 150 million and by 2011 it was estimated at about 170million and it is still growing. Nigeria is said to have about 17 million housing deficit. Successive administrations since return of civil democracy in 1979 have made efforts and devised strategies to address the huge housing deficit especially for the low and medium income earners but to no avail. This paper seeks to investigate factors that have militated against previous efforts and recommend suggested solutions to the problem. This study was based on Contributions from experts at a research conference and web literature. A strategy to apportion 17 million housing deficit among the federal, states and local governments and private developers will if implemented significantly reduce the huge housing deficit. Nigerians have had to live with promises of housing for all by the year 2000, 2010, 2015, 2020 and the dates will continue to change. Previous policies have failed because the host communities, beneficiaries and end users were not involved in the planning and policy formulation and other factors such as Corruption and lack of political will on the part of the operators also contributed. The paper recommends adequate housing education for policy makers and general public; formulation and vigorous implementation of affordable housing policy with the involvement of relevant professional bodies and elimination of corruption will make achievement of housing for all a reality. Housing, especially for workers will also help boost economy, create work and employment for construction industry professionals.

Third World Planning Review, 1983

N igeria is labelled one of the 'middle income countries' in the Third World because of its annual gross national product per capita grovvth rate of 3.6 per cent between 1960 and 1977 resulting in a GNP per capita of US $420.00 in 1977. 1 Associated with the economic gro\\•th prospects of the country was an equally compelling rapid rate of urbanisation. Although the annual rate of urbanisation in Nigeria has since declined to 4.6 per cent between 1970 and 1975 from a level of 5.1 per cent in the 1950s, a rate of 4.6 per cent per annum still indicates a rapid rate of urbanisation. 2 As is well known, the rapid expansion of urban population makes problematic the adequate provision of infrastructural facilities such as electricity, transportation and communication services. It also creates problems in providing medical, educational and recreational facilities. 3 Perhaps the most outstanding of all the urban problems (caused by the rapid expansion of urban population) is that of providing adequate housing facilities for the teeming urban population. This litany of urban problems is all too familiar." Nevertheless, opinions still diverge as to whether or not the apparent negative results that have systematically attended the various policy paths followed in most less developed countries reflect a misconception of the dynamics of the urban gro\\'th in these countrics.t This question is particularly relevant in Nigeria today in view of the failures of most housing programmes of the government. It is true that housing policies for urban low-income and middle-income families in most less developed countries have typically stressed the public supply of fully serviced 'standard' housing units." What is disturbing about the Nigerian experience is the continued pursuance of this course despite devastating experiences from these other countries. Public housing projects have failed to achieve their primary objectives of serving the urban low-income families in Nigeria. The high cost of standard housing construction coupled with extremely low effective demand by a majority of the urban population has resulted, deliberately or by default, in retargeting of these public housing programmes to the middleand high-income minorities. Where targeted as intended, the implementation has required high public subsidies so that it has benefited no more than 5-6 per cent of the urban lovvincome population." This has been the experience of Nigeria as a country since political independence in 1960. Yet, the federal government continues to pursue a policy of direct construction of housing

Nigerian cities are experiencing increasing population and rising urbanisation rates which are inconsistent with the provision of adequate housing and urban infrastructure. This contradictory trend arises mostly from the failures of past efforts by the government and the private sector. In recent times, public-private partnerships have evolved at different urban centres to produce houses which are inaccessible to the low-income households. Consequently, a substantial population of the low-income households residing in the urban areas are accessing their housing through informal arrangements which are synonymous to the sprawling of substandard housing. This problem is evidenced by the deficiency of infrastructure, shortage of good housing, unplanned urban expansion, poor living condition, high residential rentals and deprivation. To examine these issues, a review of government's mass housing schemes is undertaken. Official policy papers, reports and academic literature covering t...

HUMANUS DISCOURSE, 2023

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has been facing a severe housing crisis for decades. The rapid urbanization, population growth, and inadequate government planning have contributed to a shortage of affordable and decent housing for its citizens. This crisis does not only affects the quality of life for many Nigerians but also poses significant challenges to the country's overall development. The paper seeks to examine the deepening housing crisis in Nigeria and to proffer solutions to overcoming this humungous challenge. The paper adopts the use of qualitative data which primarily relies on secondary data to include; books, journals, newspapers articles, and internet materials to get to the root of the problem and finding lasting solutions. Findings from the research reveal that housing is one of the fundamental challenges facing most Nigerians and this has contributed to most of the problems facing most of the urban centres in terms of criminality, spread of diseases, social vices and urban slums. The paper concludes that, with the right strategies and concerted effort, Nigeria can overcome this crisis and pave the way for a brighter future.

International Journal of African and Asian Studies, 2013

It has been observed that majority of the people are living in poor housing quality or totally homeless in urban center despite all governmental policies to provide housing to the public. On the supply side, various government policies in the past have been formulated towards overcoming the huge shortage through several Housing Reform Programmes. Despite these past efforts, housing continues to be a mirage to ordinary Nigerian. Currently, there are various mass housing delivery Programmes such as the affordable housing scheme that utilize the Public Private Partnership effort and several Private Finance Initiative models could only provide for about 3% of the required stock. This suggests the need for a holistic solution in approaching the problem. The aim of this research is to find out the problems hindering the delivery of housing in Nigeria, its effects on housing affordability. The specific objectives are; to identify the causes of housing delivery problems, to examine different housing policies over years and to suggest way out for sustainable housing delivery. This paper also reviews the past and current housing delivery Programmes in Nigeria and analyses the demand and supply side issues. It identifies the various housing delivery mechanisms in current practice The objective of this paper therefore is to give you an insight into the delivery option for the sustainability of housing in Nigeria, given the existing delivery structures and the framework specified in the New National Housing Policy. The secondary data was obtained from books, journals and seminar papers The conclusion is that we cannot copy models from other nations but rather evolve workable models based on our socio-cultural background to address the huge housing shortage in Nigeria. Recommendations are made in this regard.

Successive Nigerian government has been making concerted efforts in housing delivery intervention through various policies and programmes either as a provider in the 70’s and 80’s, as facilitator and enabler in recent time. However, no meaningful achievement has yet been recorded vis-à-vis the increasing housing requirement in the country. A detailed literature review on the existing housing policy and programmes in Nigeria was carried out in order to determine level of its implementation, adaptation and compliance based on the broad concept of the housing policy goals. The authors opined that housing policies must not only be articulate in broad coverage but also sustainable in terms of inclusiveness and implementation, thus the paper recommends and highlighted on some silent areas which required adequate attention for attaining acceptable standard in housing delivery especially in the developing countries. The need for public participation and consultation in housing policy formation to accommodate issues of cultural and overall housing norms as it relates to Nigeria’s demographic system is keenly recommended.

This paper examines low-income housing broadly over the years in Nigeria. It brings to the fore the efforts of several administrations in Nigeria in terms of low-income housing provision and policies guiding housing. The level of success of low – income provision is highlighted likewise the problems associated with low-income housing-namely slums and informal settlements. This paper concludes that the new Urban Agenda provides the Nigerian government another opportunity to commit itself to low-income housing and vigorously pursue it.