How FG can tackle housing deficit requiring N31trn – Sociologist
By Lydia Chigozie-Ngwakwe
A Professor of Sociology, Lai Olurode, has urged the Federal Government to reconsider its decision to revoke housing allocations from 1,357 Nigerians across 33 states due to payment defaults.
Olurode, a former Dean, Faculty of Social Science, University of Lagos, said that the socio-economic impact of such cancellation would be huge.
He expressed the concern in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Olurode urged the government to grant the affected individuals more time to make payments.
“I would want government to give those who have applied more time to pay off because private investment in housing is very weak and not many people earn enough to be able to buy land,’’ he said.
He said that Nigeria had a deficit of about 28 million housing units.
He added that a significant proportion of the available housing stock was not habitable because of lack basic amenities.
“There is a deficit of about 28 million units of housing in the country.
“If you even look at the available housing stock, most of the houses, as a matter of fact, are not habitable because of their conditions.
“They have no modern facilities in terms of infrastructure, there is absence of water in some of the houses.”
The professor also said that some of the houses were not accessible.
“That is apart from the fact that some are in slums,’’ he said.
The professor said that the revocation of housing allocations represented lost opportunities for the affected individuals and would exacerbate the critical housing situation.
He said: “That will be compounding the already very precarious housing situation in the country.’’
According to him, addressing the national housing deficit will require at least N31 trillion.
He warned that the cancellation, in addition to the poor condition of some existing houses and population growth, would lead to increased homelessness.
Olurode also noted some limitations of the National Housing Fund, saying it primarily benefitted those in formal employment.
He called for a stronger partnership between the public and private sectors in tackling housing problems, saying that the government could not do it alone.
He, however, regretted that high interest rates discouraged private investment in the sector.
The sociologist emphasised that only a small percentage of Nigerians could genuinely afford housing.
He warned that housing shortage could lead to overcrowding and its attendant social problems.
He highlighted the difficulties Nigerians faced in acquiring land, even in rural areas, due to speculation and land title issues.
He urged the government to encourage private sector participation in housing provision through incentives.
He added that the government should explore alternative payment structures for housing, such as the piecemeal approach in which long-term payments would lead to ownership.
Olurode said that housing should be viewed as a social necessity rather than a purely commercial venture, suggesting the need for government subsidy.
The professor advocated promotion of cooperative housing societies to facilitate home ownership.
He also emphasised the need for improved salaries to enable more workers to afford decent housing. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Ijeoma Popoola
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