NIGERIA-HABITAT: Who Should Build Houses For All?

By Toye Olori Reprint | | Print |

Toye Olori

LAGOS, Oct 31 1996 (IPS) - While Nigerians showered nothing but praise for Chinese assistance to revamp the Nigeria Railways, the same red carpet has not been so readily rolled out for the Asian country’s participation in the National Housing Programme(NHP).

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Works and Housing signed a memorandum with the Chinese to rescue its embattled housing programme.

But before the ministry could open the door for the Chinese to enter, a swarm of criticism from local builders and engineers poured in.

“Besides being anti-nationalistic, the move runs contrary to government’s pledge to always patronise and encourage local engineers,” said Joseph Uujamhan, President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).

“Our view is that the invitation to the Chinese is a backward movement; we don’t know what the Chinese are going to bring,” Uujamhan said. “Various factors such as differences in the technical conditions of both countries would not make their involvement viable.”

The Society, which has already dispatched a letter of protest to the ministry, believes Nigeria has the expertise and manpower to handle its housing projects without involving foreign experts.

“The housing programme is supposed to be a revolution and there is no way another country can develop our country for us,” the Society said in a statement.

Critics here believe the move by the Nigerian government is to spite the West, which has heavily criticised its democratic process and human rights record.

“We can find new friends in the Third World and the Far East is what the government seems to be saying,” said one critic here.

“We do not have details of the memorandum yet. It may be just financing of housing projects and not construction. In that case, it could be welcomed, but if China is involved in design and construction of houses for Nigerians, then, it is unacceptable,” the critic, who declined to be named, said.

But retired civil servant, James Owodolu, argued that if the use of local expertise has not improved housing in this West African nation, the government should invite outside experts.

“If the government feels foreign expertise is necessary to make its housing programme a success, there is nothing wrong with that,” Owodolu said. “After all, several housing schemes begun since the second republic (1979-1983) have failed for one reason or the other.”

Various regimes have attempted to provide affordable houses for the citizens without much success.

The Ibrahim Babangida regime (1985-1993) initiated a National Policy on Housing in 1991, which aimed to ensure that all Nigerians owned or had access to decent housing by the year 2000.

This policy called for 70,000 houses annually, leading to a final target of eight million houses by the year 2000.

To achieve these objectives, Babangida’s government issued Decree Three of 1992, which set up a mandatory Home Saving Scheme.

The scheme was within the framework of the National Housing Fund, to which workers earning 3,000 naira (about 38 u.s. dollars) per annum and above would contribute 2.5 percent of their salaries at an interest rate of 4 percent.

The policy failed because of diminishing enthusiasm, bureaucratic red-tape, the high cost of building materials and lack of commitment at the highest political level in terms of policy direction.

The latest attempt was the 1994 launch of the Federal Housing Programme by General Sani Abacha’s government. This programme was launched in 17 states, but by the end of that year, no single house had been completed.

Lateef Jakande, then Minister of Works and Housing, promised to build 121,000 houses in two years (1994-1996). The government’s target by the year 2000 was to provide five million houses.

Critics described the programme as a mere political gimmick for the new administration to gain recognition and popularity among Nigerians, most of whom were opposed to the return of a military government after the annulment of the 1993 Presidential election.

Given the failure of the government’s housing programmes, observers here say that housing for all Nigerians by the year 2000 is a mirage.

Abdullahi Adamu, Minister of State for the Ministry of Housing and Works however said that government cannot build houses for every Nigerian. It can only create an enabling environment for people to build and own homes. “It is wrong for people to think that the government will build houses for everybody in the country,” Adamu said.