PROBLEMS OF HOUSING IN NIGERIA

PROBLEMS OF HOUSING IN NIGERIA

The Nigerian Government, in the past few years, has made the provision of housing for its inhabitants an important issue. one of the most significant efforts is that they have co-worked with private organizations in the design, construction and implementation of housing projects throughout the country.

Despite their efforts to improve the housing situation of the country, about 90% of urban housing is produced by private investors.

In Nigeria, like in any other developing country, when we talk about provision of housing, it is usually for the middle class(most times the low middle class) and the lower class inhabitants of the urban mass and this in most cases lead to the construction of different mass housing schemes to help solve the housing shortage, and come with certain problems.

There are several problems associated with the housing in Nigeria, and these include:
1. Safety and Security
2. Affordability
3. Accessibility
4. Lack of infrastructures and support facilities
5. Quality of housing
6. Variety of housing types
7. Location of housing

Safety and security: As identified by Plessis (1999) in the previous chapter, “One of the requirements of a sustainable environment is that it should be safe for all who use it. Just as it should not pose health threats to its inhabitants, people should not have cause to fear for their personal safety and the safety of their possessions”. In Nigeria, one of the most problems with housing is the issue of security and safety. Where an individual lives determines the safety and security of that person and his/her family.

There are safe and secure housing environments in the country but the cost of housing in a well situated environment is so high that only people in the upper class and upper middle class can afford to stay in safe environments, while the low income earners reside in houses located in areas isolated from the rest of the city, coupled with the fact that the wealthy people in the environment can afford security in their housing environments even when the situations is neglected by the authorities in charge and the low income earners cannot.

The provision of security in one part of a city to eradicate/restrict crime usually redistribute it from the housing environments of the elite, the high income earners and the upper middle class earners, to the housing environments of the lower middle class and the low income earners.

Affordability: Housing ,as we see today, is like any other commodity in the market. It is produced, and can be sold and bought by individuals or organizations. This notion tends to exclude the poor from the housing market. Due to this, and the fact that most of the housing stocks in the country are owned and produced by private investors, they are usually of a high cost. As John Logan and Harvey Molotch explained in their essay, “The City as a Growth Machine ” these private investors who are place entrepreneurs, usually attempt through collective actions and in most cases in alliance with other business men to create conditions that will intensify future land use in an area. Therefore due to the intensification of land use in such areas there is difficulty for acquiring land for new construction and the price of housing is usually at a rate which is affordable by elite and the upper middle class citizens in the country.

ACCESSBILITY: Another problems of housing in Nigeria is the accessibility of housing environment to infrastructures and support facilities. Because of the cost of housings in the major parts of the city, people move towards the outskirts of the city in search of affordable housing. Most of these areas are usually in an isolated away from the jobs in the center and are linked to the city centers usually by a single route, for access to place of work, school and health facilities, people who live in these areas have to go all the way to the city center.

This increase the everyday cost of living of the already low income earners and also the traffic congestion on these routes at certain times of the day.

LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURES AND SUPPORT FACILITIES: Most housing environments lack infrastructure and support facilities. in most public housings, especially the mass housings environments there is little or no water supply and electricity, Mass housings environments lacks the provision of schools, health facilities, public parks and gardens.

QUALITY: Not only is the quality of housings a problems in Nigeria, the quality of the housing environment is also a problems. Most housing environments lack maintenance, especially in rental housing and mass housing environments. sanitation has long been forgotten about in most parts of the country even in environments where the elites reside. The only difference is that the elite have the capital to afford private companies to take care of this problems while the low income earners do not.

VARIETY OF HOUSING TYPES: There is a lack of broad range of housing types and prizes levels when it comes to mass housings in Nigeria, and even if there is a variety in price range, it usually starts from a price which is above the affordability level of the low income earners. A broad range of housing types usually brings people of diverse ages, races and income into daily interaction but because most housings environments in Nigeria lacks this people of different statues are highly segregated, especially when it comes to income level.

LOCATION: In Nigeria also comes with a social stigma. When an individual lives in mass housings environments, he/she is seen as a different individuals from those who live in private houses or houses located in the more expensive part of the city. This is usually caused by the unhygienic and overcrowded nature of the environments of most these mass housing developments.

INADEQUATE SUPPLY: Is also a serious problems, This is because there is a shortage of qualified and experienced tradesmen in the mass housings developments, and as therefore made impossible for the building industry to meet housings demands.