Preamble
In his book, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela, while describing his house in Orlando West, Soweto in South Africa, said: “It was the opposite of grand, but it was my first true home of my own, and I was mightily proud.
“A man is not a man until he has a house of his own.”

The above, perhaps, may have been what Abraham Maslow was thinking when he identified housing as one of the best indicators of a person’s standard of living and his/her place in the society. Like food and clothing, housing ranks highly among the three basic human needs. Its availability is very crucial to the welfare of every human.
A research analyst, Elijah Okpara, had, in one of his writings, said that the performance of the housing sector is one of the yardsticks by which the health of a nation is measured. Housing markets and housing construction in various economies, he noted, have served as an engine of growth.
According to him, housing construction has played an important role in urban economies of developing countries by creating employment, especially for unskilled labour. The construction and house building industries, he further said, have both constituted a “port of entry” to urban labour markets.
To him, access to housing in Nigeria remains a persistent challenge, exacerbated by an inefficient mortgage industry, a burgeoning population, inflation, diminishing income, and poverty, among other factors.
He said: “The housing deficit in Nigeria has surged from 14 million units in 2010 to a staggering 28 million units in 2023, marking a remarkable 100% increase over the past 1.2 decades and requiring an estimated N21 trillion to rectify the situation. This translates to approximately US$34.8 billion, based on the average exchange rate of US$1=N603.2 in 2023; although this figure has since gone beyond N1,400 per dollar at present.
“Alarming data from the Central Bank indicates that only 10% of Nigerians aspiring to own homes can afford to do so, underscoring the magnitude of this issue. Against the backdrop of a rapidly growing population, expanding by 3.2 per cent annually to an estimated 242 million in 2023, the housing deficit becomes even more pronounced. Inflation further compounds the challenge, affecting the costs of essential building materials, with over 60% of housing construction expenses allocated to these imported materials.
“In light of these multifaceted challenges, addressing the housing deficit in Nigeria demands a sophisticated and continually evolving solution, without which the issue will persist.”

Tenants, landlords unending war
Mrs Mary Onyeka is a widow. She lived in a mini-flat apartment at 5, Lagos Street, off Akilo Road, Agege, Lagos, with her family for close to six years. She lost her husband, sometime in 2022. After the burial rites and the mandatory mourning period, Onyeka returned to Lagos with her four children, to face new challenges of life without the breadwinner. Her landlord, sensing that it could be difficult for her to continue with the payment of rent, decided to issue a quit notice to her.
She pleaded for time, which she thought the landlord had consented to. But she was wrong. Unknown to Onyeka, her landlord had a different game plan. The man, according to what later played out, might have decided to test the tenancy law in the state. He ejected her, along with other tenants with the aid of thugs, a few months after.
One of the tenants, identified only as Christopher, a commercial bus driver, who raised the alarm, said he was at Obalende when someone called to inform him that thugs and fake policemen were at his residence in an apparent move to eject all the tenants in the bungalow building.
“I had to abandon what I was doing at Obalende Park and rushed home. I met other tenants outside the house, their properties and mine had already been vandalised by the thugs,” Christopher recalled.
Like Onyeka, many Nigerians, especially those living in the cities, have one tale of woe or the other to tell about their ordeal in the hands of landlords. Many people have had terrible experiences in the hands of landlords whose power seems to be growing unchecked. And since shelter is one of the basic necessities of life, many are determined to acquire this essential need.
It has thus become a major concern for both individuals and the governments in the country. In fact, the scorecard of any government in the country has, more often, been assessed on its ability to provide housing for its populace. Shelter, indeed, is very important and obligatory in human living. It is imperative for every human being to have a home. But, is this plausible in today’s Nigeria, giving the outlook of the housing deficit facing the country at present?
In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, for instance, only the well-to-do can afford to rent an apartment in the metropolis as the costs appear not to be for small salary earners.
Judith Nmakwe, a civil servant said: “The rate of accommodation in this city has assumed an alarming dimension; you cannot see a beginner, I mean someone who is trying to start life, settle down in Abuja. A room apartment at the boys’ quarters is what most people can afford here.”

The 1990s slogan of housing for all
The slogan in the ‘90s about housing for all in the year 2000 was a promise never kept. This may be why, 24 years after, many now describe it as just a slogan at the cusp of that fabled year. Housing for many has remained elusive, if not a mirage since then. But, could it have been mere sloganeering?
Real estate expert and principal partner of Ubosi Eleh and Co, Chudi Ubosi, once recalled that the slogan was introduced by the General Ibrahim Babangida’s government where they professed that by the 2000 there will be adequate housing available for every Nigerian. It was, indeed, a laudable objective, he said, considering that Nigerians were (and are still) grossly under-housed.
Ubosi, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers and a past President of the Africa Chapter of the International Real Estate, had noted that it was a programme that was meant to ease the housing problems of the Nigerian population by that magical year that held some kind of Arabian night’s fascination. He also said that many generally assumed that in the year 2000, Nigeria would be a dreamland where everything such as electricity, health, water supply, roads and education would work as they should.
Unfortunately, that as it seemed was a problem deferred. The first possible reason, he identified, was the poor articulation of the goal of achieving housing for all.
“It must be said that nowhere in the world has the government been able to house 100% of its citizens. It is done in conjunction with the private sector with well-laid out action plans. No government in the world can house its citizens 100% because of the huge strain it will pose to its resources.
“Following on the heels of improper articulation of the objection was the lack of focus. Who exactly did the government want to house? Was it to be the low-income group, the middle income, the upper middle income or the high-income group? As of today nobody can be precise as to the answer to that question. The government could never have succeeded in housing everybody from the low-income group to the high-income group.
“Thirdly, there were no clear policies for its achievement as well as the necessary legislation to back up the same. There were legislations like the Mortgage Finance Decree No. 53, and National Housing Fund, for instance. They were never fully implemented and where they were, it was poorly done. As the country moves into the new millennium, there are a number of issues that ought to have been tackled to make the housing of the masses an easy one,” he said.
Ubosi added: “To ensure that the housing developments are within the reach of the masses, pricing is very important. Housing being one of the basic needs of man, the government should not see investments in this sector from the profit motive only. Governments should view the returns more from the positive social impact of the development.
“Assuming that indeed housing estates comprising 1000 units of mixed developments are undertaken in a certain local government area, the impact on the life of the precinct would be tremendous. Apart from the fact that a new catchment area would have opened up, subsidiary and support activities will be introduced.
“Plumbers, welders, mechanics, artisans of all trades will spring up to provide support services to the residents of the estate. In doing this, employment is generated, income taxes will be paid, tenement and ground rents will be collected resulting in increased revenue to the various authorities.”

The Jakande magic
Alhaji Lateef Jakande, former governor of Lagos State, achieved what many thought was impossible in the housing sector during his short but eventful tenure. He was a governor for only four years and three months and was able to achieve so much because he keyed into the manifesto of the then Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) to address the suffering of the masses. In addressing such problems, he chose to build houses.
He decided to build houses that would have the necessary infrastructures and each of the flats he built had toilets, water closet, bathroom with shower, kitchen, sitting room and bedrooms, according to those who lived in them. He called those houses scattered all over Lagos State, low-cost buildings, but the people changed it to Jakande estates to honour him.
Becoming a landlord in the estate, according to those in the know, was not through political affiliations, nor was it reserved for civil servants; rather, it was through an announcement on the television and there was no discrimination in acquiring them.
According to reliable sources, he was able to build the houses due to the commitment of those working with him. All materials used in the buildings were said to have ben sourced directly from the factories or point of sale to the site. The then Secretary to the State Government, Chief Olorunfunmi Basorun, as quoted in a newspaper interview, said that Jakande achieved mass housing policy through determination and commitment.
According to him, Jakande was able to achieve his mass housing mission by setting up a building material board headed by Alhaji R.I Solomon. The board was directly in charge of materials for the housing projects, he said, and that eliminated third parties in the procurement process.
Basorun added: “The prices of cement and iron rods were negotiated with the suppliers, not going to the general market to buy. Every Sunday, he would hold a meeting with the suppliers of iron rod, cement; and he got very good prices, which he gave the contractors. If you got a contract to build a block of six flats, you would go to the building materials board to collect materials, including blocks.
“He intended to build 50,000 housing units in his first term, but he could only do 9,000. The Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) built the houses and it was placed under mortgage as many low-income earners could not afford to pay for their flats.”
Commenting on what is today known as the Jakande magic, Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, urged Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to replicate the legacies of the late Lateef Jakande. In his remarks, Adams described Jakande as a selfless leader, who took a special interest in the lower class of society.
“The Low-Cost Housing Estates built during Lateef Jakande years are notable and enduring. They outlived his administration such that governors that succeeded him benefitted from the achievements. I urge Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to look beyond today and build legacies that will live after him. The demand for affordable housing is still very acute,” he added.

Others speak, proffer solutions
One of the first experts to react to this ugly picture in the housing sector is the Managing Director, Legrande Properties Development Company Limited, Babajide Durojaiye. He doubles as the developer of Alexandra Courts Coastal City. Durojaiye was quoted to have said that the astronomical rise in cost of building materials by over 300 per cent has not helped matters in the production of cheap housing units.
If the trend continues, he had predicted, prices of building materials will hit between 500 and 1000 per cent increase in the market by 2027. To address the situation, he called for the intervention of the government to lower the prices of building materials. He also expressed fear about the proliferation of the property market with fake finishing materials, which he said would require the intervention of the government to enforce standards and ensure the intervention of the government in the cost of building materials.
Also, the MD, Urban Shelter Ltd, Musa Aliyu, admitted that though the courts are there, absence of rent control laws tend to make all landlords abuse the situation. As it stands today, many Nigerians still rest their heads under the bridge in the dark hour.
People, who cannot afford a house rent, are left to sleep in the cold at night, exposing themselves not only to the vagaries of the weather but other dangers. Less privileged tenants also live in uncompleted buildings. These people are exposed to hazards both at night and day. There are others too, who often consider themselves lucky but live in the slum where all forms of inhuman activities abound.
They inhabit the slum because they cannot afford the cost of a decent accommodation. The efforts of the Federal Government, particularly the National and state Assemblies to propose rent control legislation have not met with success. This is as a result of the failed situation on the supply side of the real estate market and the failure of the existing and subsisting rent control legislation and home ownership schemes to address the problem of housing in Nigeria.
There are those who also believe that housing generally has not ranked high on the scale of priorities for social spending by successive administrations in the country. This may be the reason efforts at providing low-cost housing have been minimal, despite the creation of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria in 1977, as shanty towns and slums are common sights in urban areas leading to overcrowding.
It has been estimated that about 85 per cent of the urban population live in single rooms often with four to six people per room, making living conditions very dehumanising.
Former MD, FMBN, Gimba Ya’u-Kumo, had earlier noted that lack of a robust mortgage financing system in Nigeria had made the rate of home ownership in the country one of the lowest in Africa.
Ya’u-Kumo said that mortgage credits accounted for less than five per cent of total lending portfolio of Nigerian banks and just about 13.5 per cent of mortgage lending by Primary Mortgage Banks.
According to him, the CBN supervision report 2008 revealed that 90 per cent of housing developments in Nigeria were self-financed through personal savings for periods upwards of 10 years. He said that housing not only satisfied the basic human need for shelter, but a key component of economic growth and development.
Ya’u-Kumo also pointed out that provision of housing was not only a key driver of economic development, but that it formed a substantial part of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of most developed countries.
He said: “The supply gap for low and medium income groups is huge, reaching a crisis level in some cities in the country. This is heightened by the rapid urbanisation of the population.”
In Nigeria, like in many other developing nations of the world, housing problems are multidimensional. The problems of population explosion, continuous influx of people from rural to the urban centres, and lack of basic infrastructure required for good standard of living have compounded housing problems over the years. Access to this basic need by the poor, who constitute the largest percentage of the world’s population, has remained a mirage, which needs to be critically addressed.
Disturbed by the severe housing shortage that has left millions of Nigeria’s citizens homeless, a housing expert, Chuka Harrison Okoye, has suggested a few things the governments at all levels can do to address the country’s housing affordability crisis. Okoye is the CEO of Facibus Housing.
According to him, high cost of land, high naira exchange rate and others are some of the hindrances to affordable housing in Nigeria. He called on the Federal and state governments to make land readily cheap, affordable and also control the naira exchange rate, adding that by doing so the cost of building houses would reduce.