Solving The Housing Problems In Nigeria.part one

Solving The Housing Problems in Nigeria… Part 1 .Housing in Nigeria evolved from colonial staff quarters and traditional local compounds into a massive urban crisis, driven by rapid population growth, high building costs, and scarce financing. The current housing deficit exceeds 20 million units, leaving most urban residents in overcrowded slums. 

History of Housing Delivery

Colonial Era: Focus was restricted to residential quarters for British expatriates and select local administrative staff. Key bodies like the Lagos Executive Development Board (LEDB) and Nigerian Building Society were formed in the 1950s.

Post-Independence & National Plans: Early post-independence governments tried to expand housing through National Development Plans, leading to the creation of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in 1973 and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) in 1977. 

The Shagari Era (1980s): The National Low-Income Housing Programme aimed to build 200,000 units annually, but political shifts and corruption cut it short at roughly 32,000 completed units.

Recent Decades: National Housing Policies were introduced (1991, revised later), but implementation lagged behind population growth, shifting the burden mostly to informal, individual self-construction. 

Massive Deficit: Estimates range from 17 to over 28 million missing housing units, requiring millions of new builds annually.

High Costs & Inflation: Escalating prices for cement, iron rods, and land make formal housing unaffordable for average earners. 

Weak Finance Systems: Mortgage penetration is extremely low; most buyers must pay multi-year rents upfront or finance self-builds piece-by-piece over decades. 

Urban Slums: Over 70% to 80% of urban dwellers live in informal settlements lacking clean water, proper sanitation, or legal land titles. 

Government mortgage options available through the FMBN

Affordable local building materials as alternatives to cement

Urban planning solutions for Lagos or other major cities

 Some of the challenges faced in providing decent and adequate housing for the people include problems of unskilled workmen, unachievable westernized building .

Challenges Facing Nigerian Housing Schemes · Inadequate funding and limited budget allocation · Corruption and project mismanagement.

The Generational Trap of Housing in Lagos.The housing problem in Lagos began to take a serious turn during the oil boom era. By the late 1960s and through the 1970s, oil had become. Causes and Challenges of Urban Housing in Nigeria. Some of the causes of urban growth are the search for employment opportunities, better life.

Historical housing shortages in Nigeria have disproportionately affected low-income groups, primarily due to financial barriers and inadequate policy frameworks

Housing Challenge and Government's Policy Interventions 

A 'no housing' situation existed in Nigeria and about 60% of. Nigerians were conceived homeless (NHP, 2012). Though the military era had its challenges wi

The biggest problem we have in Nigeria today regarding Housing, and a host other things, is the Land Use Act (1978). Housing policy in Nigeria can be categorized into five historical development phases viz the Colonial Period (before 1960)