It
is no longer news that Nigeria has about 17 million housing deficit and that 68
million of its citizens are living in indecent houses. In the face of this
lack, the current government is working to ensure that Nigerians are properly
housed.
This
has also become an headache for stakeholders in the housing sector since
President Muhammadu Buhari announced the initiative during the opening session
of the National Economic Council Retreat on the economy in Abuja.
Buhari
had said that the Federal Government would build 250,000 units, 22 states
governed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) would build 250,000 units,
while 500,000 housing units would be built by the private sector.
This
arrangement, according to him, is to enable his party meet with its election
promise of providing one million houses per year for Nigerians. The president
said he had invited foreign investors and local construction companies to
assist the country in covering her housing deficit.
He
said: “Some estimates put Nigeria’s housing deficit at about 16 million units.
In our successful campaign to win the general election last year, our party,
the APC, promised to build a million housing units a year.
“This
will turnout to be a very tall order unless the Federal Government builds
250,000 units; 22 APC states together manage another 250,000 units. We invite
foreign investors together with local domiciled big construction companies to
enter into commercial housing building to pick up the rest”.
Experts’
view
Following
President Buhari’s declaration, housing experts have analyzed the issue and the
modality that should be put in place to drive the goal. They are also conscious
of the fact that successive governments in the past had promised affordable
housing to citizens without marching their words with action.
Speaking
with New Telegraph, some of the experts canvassed robust funding, modern
construction method to fast-track the process and an enabling environment to
attract private investors. A former Commissioner for Physical Planning and
Urban Development in Lagos State, Mr. Toyin Ayinde, a town planner, said there
was need for the government to pump money into construction to revamp the
economy, which has been at its low ebb since the beginning of the year.
He
said that since the Federal Government plans to release about N350 billion into
the economy, it should give the whole money to the construction industry to
generate employment and affect the economy positively. Ayinde said:
“Construction industry is one of the largest employers of labour. It brings
vibrancy to the economy.You
can imagine what will happen when building a 10-floor project, architects,
engineers, builders, bricklayers, iron benders, tilers, painters, carpenters
and other labourers including food, pure water and recharge card vendors will
be involved. There will be a lot of jobs for people.”
On
the one million houses per year agenda, Ayinde said that there were salient
posers that ought to have been provided answers to as regards the availability
of land, house design, construction method and availability of mortgage.
He
said: “Where is the land? What type of design are we looking at? Is government
doing these houses across each state equally? Is it considering the advantage
of vertical expansion and the infrastructure required?” Ayinde noted that with
the current construction technology for housing in the country, the government
might not be able to meet the planned one million accommodation units per
annum.
On
the way out, the former commissioner suggested the need to consider a modern
construction method that is fast and can give room for vertical building.
According
to him, building one million houses in a year will require huge investment and
creation of an enabling environment on the part of government.
He
said: “It is when we improve the technology that we can improve housing supply.
It is important for engineers and builders to look for modern technology to
fast-track construction. “Standardisation of house design will also help to
achieve mass production,” he advised.
Also,
a former President, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) and Association
of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Mr. Bunmi Ajayi, said Nigeria would
make progress if the government pumps money into housing to create jobs for the
people. He said: “Buhari has to put a lot of money into construction,
especially real estate in order to inflate the economy”.
On
private sector motivation to realize the dream, Ajayi urged the government to
create an enabling environment for investors to bring in money, pointing out
that housing construction requires huge investment.
He
said that the creation of conducive environment will go a long way to attract
private investors to partner the government in the construction of 500,000
housing units as scheduled. Besides, he advised that the issue of Land Use Act
be looked into by finding a way around it to encourage home ownership among
Nigerians.
“As
regards the Consent Clause in the Act, government must summon courage to remove
it,” he said. Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Lagos
Chapter, Mr. Samuel Offiong Ukpong, said: “If real estate sector is vibrant, 80
per cent of unemployment will be solved”.
He,
therefore, tasked the government, being the biggest spender, to invest in
housing heavily and carry along the private sector in its implementation.
Challenges
As
part of the challenges, President Buhari had identified high rents,
unaffordable prices for prospective buyers, especially middle and low-income
earners, red tape, corruption and plain public service inefficiency as delays
in obtaining ownership of title documents.
“These
hurdles are by no means easy to scale, but we must find solutions to the
housing deficit. This retreat might start by looking at the laws,” he said.
Conclusion
Most
developed countries in the world are those nations that their citizens are
well- housed. President Buhari must, this time around, march words with action
by considering many alternatives for mass production of houses for the
citizens.
http://www.housingnews.org.ng/category/blog/
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