HOMES FIT FOR
HUMAN DIGNITY
“… houses small and without, foundations, subdivided and often around
unpaved courts. An almost total lack of drainage and sewerage was made worse by
the excavation of brick earth. Pigs and cows in back yards, noxious trades like
boiling tripe, melting tallow, or preparing cat’s meat, and slaughter houses,
dust heaps, and “lakes of putrefying night soil” added to filth” – Henry
Mayhew.
It is not far-fetched to
state that the problem of housing is not peculiar to Nigeria. But, do we fold
our arms as a country and allow the ‘general problem syndrome’ submerge us. It
is pertinent to realize that solving the housing deficit in a country reduces
the world’s problem in the global housing sector.
Nigeria, which has the
largest population in Africa, rated as the 8th in the world and also
accounts for 47% of West Africa’s population, has been grappling with this
unsolved situation of housing deficit. It has been estimated that Nigeria has
about 18 million housing deficit with a 177.5 million population and GDP of
568.5 billion dollars.
Nigeria, whose soil is
embedded with the richest mineral resources in the world, has about 60% of her
population either living in overpopulated homes, substandard homes or in sheds
built with dried grass, plastics etc. It is a pathetic case that even in urban societies;
Nigerians live in slums, in homes that are not fit for human habitation.
The Nigerian government
has of-course been planting great seeds of policies in the housing sector to
reduce the problem of homelessness and under quality housing in Nigeria. These
policies have empowered the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), the Real
Estate Development Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Building Materials Producers
Association of Nigeria (BUMPAN). The policies were proclaimed to be aimed at
solving the problems associated with homelessness, inferior quality housing and
unaffordable housing.
Over the years, it has
been a case of different administrations with different policies, yet many Nigerians
are either homeless or reside in life risking homes. However, in recent times,
the Nigerian government seem to have really been implementing its housing
policies. There are physical evidences in urban areas as well as some rural
environments. Modern houses are springing up, builders are constructing with
novel ideas and quality materials, such as bricks, concrete, among others. With
the resurrection of the land use act and PPP between both Federal and State government
and Private Investors, the real Estates business is booming and boosting the
economy. But with these result from the
housing policies, have they been serving their purpose of solving the problems
they have been created for?
Considering the issues opposing
these policies, issues such as expensive property registration, high cost of
housing construction, few access to mortgage finance among others, it is as
though the policies have only been working for the upper class community and a
few in the middle class. It is such a vicious circle!
In Abuja, Lagos, Kano and
Ibadan for instance, there have been a constant rise in home sales and lease
prices in the last few years. Homes are built by the upper class and are
purchased by the upper middle class who already have enough houses. A lot of these houses are in turn leased out
at exorbitant prices. Hence, the lower class community holds on to its
undignified homes or even nothing at all.
Unsafe and undignified
homes are therefore a subject that needs urgent ‘change’ in Nigeria. If truly‘Change has come’, then it should reflect on the housing sector in Nigeria.
According to the 1991 constitution (Chapter 4, Section 34, SS 1, article a),
every Nigerian is entitled to a home fit for human dignity.
The lower class Nigerians
are entitled to have access to mortgage. Sincere affordable housing should be
provided for the low income earners. A check should be placed on gluttonous
property acquisition and unrealistic lease or rent rates. Otherwise, the
housing policies in Nigeria would have produced undemocratic and one – sided
result. It is time for all Nigerians to have a humane life and live in
dignified homes.
