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STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE HOUSING IN NIGERIA BY

PRIVATE INITIATIVE


BY
N.O AGBO
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
UNIVERSITY OF JOS


BEING A PAPER PRESENTED AT ASSOCIATION OF ARCHITECTURAL
EDUCATORS IN NIGERIA (AARCHES) BGM/ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING ON
THEME: BEYOND 50 YEARS OF NIGERIA: DEVELOPMENT OF
ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION AT DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
UNIVERSITY OF JOS, PLATEAU STATE





3
RD
-5
TH
OCTOBER 2012
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ABSTRACT
This paper identifies quality and adequate housing as an important indicator of
economic development; and the private sector as the greatest contributor to housing delivery. It
attributes the current housing crisis to ever increasing household formation and dilapidated
existing stock without significant increase in new housing construction. The author blames the
present challenges to new housing construction by the private sector on among other things
poor investment planning and unnecessary pride built on misconceived personal concepts. The
paper finally highlights effective strategies which when adopted would enable the common man
to increasingly participate in housing development.
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INTRODUCTION
Inadequate housing has remained an intractable and hydra-headed problem in human
existence: Inadequacy in this context has two dimensions. In one instance houses may not
exist in the quality they are wanted. The quality deficiency may include the location, the number
and size of function units, use and assembly of materials, state of physical fitness or the
insecurity of the environment. in such situations, housing vacancy is not sufficient for its
occupation for they do not match the quality requirements of the prospective occupants.
In another instance, housing quantitatively falls short of the general demand. by this
more people are chasing houses. It is being estimated that Nigeria has a current housing deficit
of about sixteen million (FMBN:2011). This becomes worrisome as it is being observed that
less houses are being built but there is increasing maturing youthful population who,
subsequently will desire housing. For the existing stock to manage the demand, there must be
overcrowding as evident in most urban centres, and due to demand push inflation, there will be
continued increase in house rent.
This paper highlights the various ways the private sector particularly first time property
developers can help themselves to build their own houses. It aspires to stimulate more private
development initiative, inspire and awaken the spirit of the audience to commence and undertake
their own housing construction projects. It is also the intention of the paper to intimate
Nigerians that the amount of money spent on profuse entertainment, or even acquire social titles
could be mobilized to give one a befitting home and dislodge the inhibition of particularly low
income earners that their little saving cannot give them a personal house.


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THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE HOUSING
The above has two key words sustainable and housing each which needs to be
examined separately and later brought together for a better understanding of this paper.
The first word sustainable - has no universally accepted definition be cause it is often
linked with other concepts such as sustainable agriculture, sustainable development, sustainable
system etc. Each concept defines the word to capture the context it is being used.
Generally, Sustainable is a derivative of Latin sustenere (tenere-to hold; sus-up) To
hold up. To hold up implies keeping up or maintaining something in a specified position.
Sustainable is the ability of something to continue for a long time (Summers, 2007).
The 2005 World Summit notes that sustainability a known from sustainable is built in
three pillars-environmental, social equity and economic demands-all which are mutually
reinforcing that the reconciliation of the generates a common ground for numerous standards.
Sustainability is then the capacity to endure improving the quality of human life while living
within the carrying capacity of supporting eco-system. The term encompasses stewardship i.e.
the responsible management of resource use.
On the other hand, house or housing is more than the basic shelter or the floor covered
by a roof. The United Nations Inter-regional Seminar in 1975 defines housing as encompassing
all the ancillary services and community facilities which are necessary for human well being.
Also the national development objectives recognizes housing as a major investment item which
could make a significant contribution to economic development. PNC (Nig.) Ltd report of 1980
equally defines housing a complex package of goods and services including shelter, related
environmental services and access to employment and community facilities. While Summer ,
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2007:793 on the other hand asserts housing as the act of providing housing for the people to live
in.
The last is the crux of this paper with emphasis on private sector intervention. On the
whole, housing enlivens and shapes environment. When an owner-occupied basis, it is a source
of savings and when commercialized it generates income and participates in capital formation.
Sustainable housing therefore conjures the notion of continuous housing development to
contain not only the present people but also meeting the demands of upcoming population. It is a
process whereby the private sector plays an interminable role in housing through perpetual
active participation in construction activity and provision of habitable units.
The role of private sector could be two folds:
i. Renewal and rehabilitation of existing stocks to keep and maintain their form and
prolong their services, and
ii. Construction of brand new houses.
THE PROBLEMS IN ACHIEVING ADEQUATE HOUSING
No country even the developed worlds have been credited with providing adequate
housing at any point in time to everyone let alone our motherland. in our own peculiar
environment, we have our problems that could thwart every reasonable effort in this direction.
First, the extent of housing deficit is normally quantitatively stated as a directionless
bogus figure because their has no been a serious and committed effort towards generating it. For
instance, such figures do not state the distribution per state and the local governments; or even
the statistical needs for various income groups. On this reality, as the planning data is
fundamentally faulty, there cannot be a realistic national planning policy to address it. There is
individual solution to the problem as well-to-do individuals engage in providing own houses at
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their own time, while others grapple it by forcing themselves into squalor and substandard
accommodation.
Again the present population growth which generates increasing household formation
that inevitably need housing without a corresponding increase in housing development places a
lot of pressure on existing stock. This not withstanding, there is reduction in existing stock
through natural disaster like flood, fire hazard, dilapidation and obsolesce, civil unrest and
ethno-religious crises.
These apart, the author has observed that in few areas where there are new developments,
at least 90% are single owner-occupied family houses. New entrants particularly in urban
centers have no alternative than to pair with friends lucky enough to rent a place. Hence 85% of
these dwellers have in single room with about 8-12 persons in a room (Encyclopedia of the
Nation, Nigeria: 2012). Most of these houses are antiquated, wholly embedded in slum with
deteriorating urban services. In many circumstances the environment urban services. In many
circumstances the environment in humanly uninhabitable except for those desperate or have lost
a sense of value and beauty in their social existence.
Social violence which in recent times characterizes some urban centres tends to segregate
the population according to ethnic and religious cleavages. Some quite sound houses are being
vacated and cheaply disposed because the owner and occupant is no more safe in time of crisis.
Such reality as a matter of fact invariably scares away and discourages potential developers.
Hence preference choice for acquisition of land and residential environment presently include a
detailed investigation into the group that majorly constitute the social environment.
AGENT OF HOUSING DELIVERY IN NIGERIA
Abiodun (1950:179) lists there views originally held in housing delivery as.
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The Free Market: Houses are treated as a social service or a social utility where people
are expected to acquire the houses they are able and willing to pay for.
i. The government has a commitment to provide houses for its citizens: In this area,
houses should be subsidized.
ii. Houses are utility services: The objectives of houses is to breakeven and not to make
profit.
The first view was held in Nigeria until 1970s when housing as a sector for federal government
activity was included in the third National Development Plan (1975-80).
However, Turner (1976) identifies three sectors that are able to organize, build and
maintain people peoples house as the public sector, the popular sector and the private sector.
The above seems consistent with Onibokun and Kumuyi (1990) that classify housing providers
in Nigeria as the public, formal and private sectors. All these are making frantic efforts to ensure
that humanity have habitable accommodation in our environment.
1. The Public Sector
The houses constructed by this sector are identified variously as mass housing or low cost
housing, signify governments direct intervention in provision of various housing units for
Nigerians. This represents a proactive approach by Government and its agencies to solve the
problems of inadequate housing. The programme embarked upon by the then civilian
government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari between 1978-83 represents a radical solution towards the
problems of inadequate housing in our nation.
Uji (1997) affirms that in low cost housing programme, units of house are planned,
designed and built by government and handed to recipients as a complete package. He asserts
further that the decision making on the entire settlement process including the schedule of works
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and site is assumed by the agencies, housing authorities and the government. The programme
embarked on the construction of about two hundred and two thousand housing units between
1978-83 but delivered on 12%.
However, several problems trailed the programme. Due to administrative charges, the
housing units were exorbitant. Some houses are located in isolated areas which due to the
distance from places of employment or business and attendant transport fare excluded the
common people. Housing designs were inadequate and inappropriate to some Nigerian culture.
Hence several houses constructed by the programme in certain states particulary Sokoto state
were partly or wholly abandoned (Abiodun , 1978:189). Consequently the programme became
unpopular and presently, the government mostly concentrate on sites and services scheme.
The Formal Sector
The formal sector constituting non-governmental organization, institutions and large
departmental stores has been participating in the provision of housing over the years. But in
1979, the then military government specifically promulgated the employees housing scheme
(special provision ) decree that requires large employers of labour to provide living
accommodation for their staff.
In this respect, fifteen employers of labour within Lagos metropolis provided a total of
one thousand, one hundred and twenty two housing units to the nations housing stock by 1984
(Onibokun and Ogbuozobe, 1990: 273). Many organizations either feigned ignorant of the
decree or vehemently refused to implement it.
At any rate, from the above, it could be inferred that the contribution of this sector had
been minimal. Presently, similar organizations give housing loans and advances to their workers
who want to build or pay monthly rent subsidy in lieu of accommodation.
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The private sector
This sector is also known as non-formal sector, self-help sector or even house building
entrepreneurs. This which involves individuals or group of persons corresponds to a system of
production, financing and maintenance in which a significant part of building exercise is
organized and undertaken by the ownership. The individual is wholly responsible for land
selection, site preparation, assembling of materials, design and construction and arranging the
building gangs. This sector accounts for 80% of all building developments in all towns in
Nigeria (Okpala, 1980).
As a grand master in housing delivery, the failure of this sector suggests a failure, of the
entire system. The reality of overcrowding that necessitate 2 to 3 persons per room in urban
towns like Owerri, Aba, Warri and Onitsha (Abiodun, 1985) and present high rents due to
demands underscores the point that the safe is currently performing below expectation. This
sector therefore needs to step up contributions if the housing market would not collapse in no
distant time.
PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING FINANCING
The enormous capital required for building makes a study of the sources of finance
available to private developers a key issue in building operation. Kumuyi and Onibokun (1990)
identify the possible source of building fund as personal saving, monetary gifts from relatives,
friends, inheritance, money lenders, cooperative unions, commercial banks and building
societies.
They summarized the contributions of the above on the basis of respondents use of each
in Nigerian large, medium and small towns in the table below.

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Table 1 Sources of Funds for building Houses (%)
Sizes of towns
Sources Large Medium Small Mean
Personal saving 73.7 79.4 84.0 78.9
Relation 7.5 8.2 7.5 7.73
Friends 1.3 1.5 0.8 1.2
Inheritance 6.5 4.0 4.8 5.1
Money lenders 2.0 0.8 0.5 1.14
Cooperatives 1.9 0.3 0.3 0.83
Commercial Banks 4.8 4.4 1.1 3.5
Building society 2.3 1.5 1.0 1.6
Source: Kumuyi and Onibokun (1990:320) modified
From the above, it could be inferred that a substantial developers source their building
fund from personal savings. This is followed by contributions from relations while the sources of
fund from cooperative union takes the rear.
CONSTRAINTS TO PRIVATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
The spirit to commence a housing project requires a lot of will power because there are
numerous forces which singly or jointly play together to stop one from engaging in personal
housing development initiatives.
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The first and the greatest obstacle to building construction is adequate capital. About
75% of respondents in a country wide field survey consider this a major problem (Kumuyi and
Onibokun, 1990:326). This includes the money to buy building materials, pay for labour and
other attendant expenses. This is because the common man exceedingly depends on personal
savings for extraordinary economic activity. Saving actually is the different between disposal
income and expenditure. The propensity to save is an aspect of self determination, self denial and
self control (Agbo, 2011). Savings among Nigerians is low because of competing family
demands, poor remuneration, very irregular sources of income and low purchasing power of our
local currency. And people generally detest any other source of income like loans because they
are hunted by public opinion and local mentality of owing any body let alone financial
institutions. Consequently many lofty plans remain still born.
Besides, unavailability of land on which to build have always been a great hindering
aspect in private sector housing development. Kumuyi and Onibokun (1990:326) in a country
wide survey assert that 57% consider land a very inhibiting factor in housing development.
Sometimes, there is no vacant land in a place one wants to build because all available land had
been fully developed. In other circumstances, available vacant land may be very difficult or
expensive to develop. At other instances, one may not be interested in building at the outskirt of
the town where abundant land abound because it requires high transportation cost to access ones
means of livelihood.
Another serious militating factor against housing development is fear and indecision to
start and engage in a construction project. About 85% of respondents in our field survey
expressed surprise hwo they were able to source and sustain the building fund for their own
houses. It therefore takes a lot of courage particularly by the common man to commence a
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building project ostensibly because the thought of the total capital requirement is high but the
capital base may be insignificant.
Nonetheless, some people abound who are apparently well-to-do but do not own a house
because they feel comfortable in particularly cheap and furnished rented apartments. These
people simply flow with the wind and refuse or forget to accord personal house a priority in their
entire social and economic lives.
Again, many people fail to achieve a personal house because fundamentally they do not
have a financial plan and are therefore without focus. Hence any unprecedented wind fall is
squandered in intemperate self-styled display of false wealth.
Additionally, another silent hindrance to private housing development is unnecessary
conceited self pride. Some people do not have the financial poverty yet they think certain
category of houses is not for them. The bet ridiculous targets for themselves and keep on hoping
to accumulate sufficient fund to surprise everybody and raise their buildings within a short
time. And more importantly they divide and openly criticize delays in peoples on-going projects
which deter close associates from similar worth while efforts. Ultimately, most of these people
do not own their own houses at all, or start a project towards the end of their active career which
they might be able to complete.
STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
The degree of economic hardship prevalent in this part of the world has made many
Nigerians more spectators in the area of housing construction. This paper at this juncture outline
some steps to revive the dream of the common man towards achieving house ownership.
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i. The first step is to acquire a piece of land. The possession of land in a socially acceptable
environment stimulates investment objectives and promotes the desire to start up
development and manage ones own property one day.
ii. The decision making to commence development The streamlines one budget and
gingers the spirit of saving by shedding of avoidable harmless family expenses.
iii. The next step is to convert savings into building materials. The materials so stocked
cannot be affected by market forces.
iv. The proposed building should be a modest and achievable project. There is no sense in
embarking on gigantic project atht might not be completed in ones life time.
v. Use cheap but durable materials. In a demonstration three bedroom project, Arayela
(2012) established a reduction of about 50% in building cost by using cement stabilized
laterite bricks as walls and fibre cement and sand mined tiles for roof.
vi. Avail oneself of any available possible family labour. Any little cash saved through this
means will be useful in promptly addressing the requirements of other tougher
constructions demands.
vii. Disabuse ones minds on the efficacy of collecting loans. But the loan should be picked at
construction stage which its use should at least partly take the project to a habitable
level.
viii. Prospective developers should not be ashamed to engaged in piece meal
development . After all once a stage is passed in the construction process the project is
partly completed.
CONCLUSION
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The process of housing construction is a very serious engagement because of the huge
capital outlay involved, intellectual resources required in its planning and the huge price of
making a mistake. But it remains a tangible testimony of a worthy life, defining and illuminating
the environment and remaining useful asset to subsequent progenies.
But the reality that the pot of private sector development agent the grand play master
is sitting precariously on unstable tripod portends a red signal to the housing market. The signs
of inadequate housing which are already evident in our social set up demand a radical action to
avoid total chaos. Design professionals should rise to the occasion by experimenting on modules
which will be cheap, durable and functional. The material researchers in conjunction with
production industries should be challenged to produce units of building materials that could
guarantee quality and affordable houses.
The government on its part should stem social crisis that will encourage more Nigerians
to build more houses away form home, and further stabilize the economic market so that the
budget drawn up at the beginning of a project does not change significantly to warrant
abandonment of the project. Government may also design incentives to those willing to play any
role in housing development. These may include a quicker access to land and tax relief for
industries engaged in the development and manufacturing of building materials.
It is our prayer that the private sector will continue to build more houses and forever
remain relevant in our quest to house Nigerians.
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REFERENCES
Abiodun J.O. (1985) The provision of Housing and Urban Environmental problems in Nigeria in
J.O. Abiodun (ed) Urban and Regional Planning problems in Nigeria, Ile-Ife, University
of Ife Press.

Agbo, N.O (2011). The Role of Local Government in Sustainable Housing Financing by Private
partnership Option, A paper presented at a Workshop on the Achievement of Sustainable
Housing by 2020 organized by Plateau State Local Government Commission in Bukuru.

Arayela, O. (2002). Increasing Housing Stock at reduced cost in Nigeria, AARCHES Journal vol
2(2).

Encyclopedia of the Nations (Nigeria), (2012), Urban Housing, www.nationsencyclopdia.com

Kumuyi A. J. and Onibokun, P. (1990). Housing Provision and Finance: The Private Individual
Sector in Onibokun P. (ed) Urban Housing in Nigeria, Ibadan, NISER.

Okpala, D.C.I (1990) The Roles of the Private budget and Public policy in shaping the Nigerian
Urban Environment Journal of Nigerian Institute of Tourn Planners vols. IV & V.

Steinbruner, J.O. (1974). The Cybernetics Theory of Decision, Princeton University Press.

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Summers, D. (2007) Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Harlow, Pearson
Educational Ltd.

Turner, J.F.C (1976), Approaches of Government sponsored Housing, Ekistics vol. 41 (242)