THE function played by housing towards meeting basic human social and economic needs in terms of safety, comfort, security of income and other vital aspects of human endeavors underscores the relevance of housing to human existence. As a unit of the environment, housing signifies one of the most rudimentary human needs. The provision of safe and healthy shelter as being offered by housing development in most societies of the world makes the delivery of good and quality housing indispensable in every wise. Housing development is by nature capital intensive due to the high cost of land acquisition, procurement of construction materials and payment of professionals. Developing countries such as Nigeria, have had unpleasant situations relating to housing delivering the past and even at present.
In Nigeria, the dream of accessing affordable housing have remained largely unfulfilled by a vast majority, most particularly, the middle and lower classes of the society. High urbanization rate accompanied by the ever-increasing population of urban dwellers which comprises people and their increasing social expectation is responsible for housing problems in Nigeria, In major Nigerian cities like Abuja, Jos, Lagos and Port Harcourt, common factors found in processes that builds slums include unplanned growth in population which amounts to acute shortage in the provision of adequate housing for low-income earners and poor households.
The population of people in Nigeria as at independence in 1960 stood at 45,211,614 with a corresponding population density of 6,967,110 persons per square kilometer. As a result, cities accommodated about 15.4% of the entire population. However, in the year 2022, the population spiked to 217,139,124, with cities housing about 54% of the population. Current studies on housing in Nigeria puts the existing housing stock to be at 23 per 1,000 inhabitant, with an estimated amount of about N21 trillion required towards financing the deficit.
Since independence, several government have identified housing to be of utmost priority, and owing to that reason, the adoption of several policies have been made in the past towards eradicating existing housing problems in Nigeria. Responses by the government towards housing needs under six era includes the pre-independence periods, the First National Development Plan (1962 – 68), the Second National Development Plan Period (1970 – 1974); the Third National Development Plan Period (1975 – 1980); the Fourth National Development Plan Period (1980 – 85) and Post Fourth Plan Period (1985- 1990) and the current democratic dispensation.
Prior to the promulgation of the Land Use Act of 1978, Nigeria land policies have had a long enduring history in the form of traditional tenure system, statutory land law (Southern and Northern protectorate), Land and Native Rights Proclamation of 1910. Land use act as a Nationalization instrument conveyed the right of ownership and management away from the citizenry and vested it upon the powers of the state. The main limitation of the Land Use Act of 1978 is the structure of ownership rights which substantially restrict housing and housing investment by conferring the ownership of all lands on the Governors of each state.
The Act has not been successful in the removal of uncertainties in land title; it only appeared to have accentuated it further, the shortcomings of the Land Use Act significantly limits housing provision prompting the agitation of stakeholders for its review. Over the years, strategies adopted by the government evolved from public housing provision to market-based private sector approach, however, the government functions in the capacity of its facilitation and regulation. In recent times around the world, the thinking of the government have drifted towards the sharing of financial burden and the engagement of professional expertise in the delivery of public utilities and infrastructures in collaboration with the organized private sector.
The deficit in housing stands a chance to be addressed in Nigeria through collaborative strategies such as the public private partnership which offers numerous benefits. Employing the professional services of housing experts such as Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Builders, Planner and Land Surveyors amongst other related field in Engineering will ensure the development of housing units that meets the required best standards through techniques and materials that are trusted and proven for building construction.
The inputs of individual member of the public is of great relevance in the delivery of housing considering the fact; housing exceeds the provision of physical (shelter) needs alone but it encompasses the social (customs and norms) and other emotional/psychological needs of the people. There exists a great need at present, to effectively reach out and involve the people at grassroots levels with the government in the formulation of housing policies.