The Development of the Houses in Nigeria County: the Transformation of the Housing System - Research Paper Example

Introduction Housing is a main concern especially to human beings. Regeneration is the process by which the housing conditions are improved through economical, social and environmental measures. According to Ademiluyi (2010), houses are permanent structures that are built in order to cater for human needs especially habitation. House regeneration leads to the achievement of sustainable development. The reason as to why housing regeneration is done is to improve the concerned area which is to be regenerated, and thus bring in a positive impact to the people who live in the place. Regeneration has positive as well as negative impacts to the areas that are being regenerated and the people who live in the areas as well. The developmental interventions on housing require the participation of partners who are the actors involved in the development of these houses. Urbanization refers to the expansion of the population living in urban areas, and this is one of the major transformations that exist along the globe. It is the movement of people from rural areas to urban areas, thus increasing the population growth of the people in the urban areas. The challenges that are faced due to the increased growth of population from the rural areas to the urban areas is the housing problem, thus the urban areas do not cater for all the housing needs of the people who have moved to these areas. Nigeria is experiencing fast rates of movement of people from the rural areas, thus the rate of urbanization in Nigeria is increasing Therefore, there is need for housing development in these areas due to increased population of people who are moving. There is therefore need for involving people who can participate in the development of these houses. The participants in the process of development are controlled by the initiatives that affect the decisions made to ensure that development is enhanced. The participants involve themselves in the local, national and international decision making which makes it possible for the housing development. The participants involved in the housing development first have to receive information about what is to be done and also what has already been done. This means that the research has to be done in order to get information about the approaches needed to be taken into account in order to find out how the housing can be developed. Once the participants have been informed, they are consulted in order to give opinions that are needed to help in the development, and this will also include the aspects of defining the problems involved in the development process and the solutions which they can come up with in order to determine how they can effectively promote the process of housing regeneration. After consultation, the participants involve themselves in joint participation, whereby they strengthen the groups which help in promoting housing regeneration, and also come up with plans which they can use to formulate the processes and ideas which are required to ensure that the issues are dealt with. Once all the participants have made concrete and perfect decisions, they become empowered and are able to come together for the purpose of establishing the best ways in which they should follow so as to implement strategies for housing development and regeneration. House regeneration is done to enhance the growth of the society and mostly promote the urban development in Nigeria. The country has been facing lots of problems because of the increased migration of the people from the rural areas to the urban areas. This has led to the shortage of houses for these people in the urban areas, and most of them end up living in slums which are very crowded, and the living standards of these people is thus affected. Urban Housing Situation in Nigeria The rapid urbanization together with the poor economy of Nigeria has greatly affected the housing situation in Nigeria. This is because the people face inadequacy in habitation and thus the government is able to come into terms with the needs of the public that the country has to establish. The most affected group of people is the low income earners who find complications when it comes to dealing with the high standards of life offered ion the urban areas. The reality that exists in the country is the fact that the stocks housing in the country do not offer satisfaction to the increased number of people who have moved to the urban areas (Jiboye et al., 2011). This has led to the growth of slums and overcrowding has become order of the day among the people of Nigeria who live in urban areas. Housing is the government’s social responsibility and thus those people in authority should work to ensure that they promote the well being of the people in the country, including those living in the urban areas. Regeneration and local economic development in Nigeria There exists a gap between the housing demand and supply. The process of housing regeneration is dealt with due to the low demand of housing in the neighborhood that has been deprived in the country (Mehta, 2006). In order to consider the local economic development in Nigeria, the country’s population is high with over 140 million citizens, and this figure is too large for the government to be able to cater for all the housing needs of the people. In order to ensure that housing is locally developed, it is important to consider some of the factors that affect the development of such areas and they include the economic development of the community, promotion of the local small and medium enterprises, investment, and the expansion of businesses in the country. Economic development of the country is enhanced when people invest in the public and thus promote the growth of the economy. When the local businesses are promoted, they would lead to the creation of job opportunities which would in turn improve the living standards of these people. The businesses would also lead to the promotion of people who are talented, and they can use their talent and resources to promote the welfare of the local community and the country as well. When the small businesses are promoted, they lead to the expansion of the business industry and thus promote the country’s well being. Cost and Location The costs of housing regulation are increasing due to the rapid urbanization in Nigeria. This is because there are lots of things which have to be bought and purchased in order to help the housing development in the country. The process of housing regeneration should be considered in order to determine if the costs incurred in the development would be income generating or whether it would be a loss to the community and also to the participants. In order to ensure that the costs of housing in Nigeria are reliable and affordable to every member of the public, it is proposed that the people of Nigeria use local building materials which they can use to improve the quality of housing in the country as well as reduce the housing costs. The costs of building houses in Nigeria has also become a common problem due to the fact that the country needs to import lots of material in order to account for all the housing needs. This is evidenced by the rate at which the country imports over half of the required cement for the process of constructing the houses. The increase in the population of the people in the urban areas requires that houses may be renovated and developed so that all people can find a place to call home. In order to come up with houses that are cost effective, the professionals can create designs which are not very expensive and thus cheap housing would be assured. The architects in Nigeria have to consider the introduction of cheap designs in order to ensure that all members of the community get the best housing needs at a low cost (Ajanlekoko, 2001). Costs should be calculated before the development activities are started in order to determine if they are economically viable, and also the costs should be determined after the development process has been carried out in order to determine if the development will or has generated the expected earnings. The housing location also affects the rapid urbanization in the country. Housing regeneration brings in change in the locations affected. Housing regeneration covers the whole area and location including the society or the community, infrastructure, employment, education, health and the rate of crime in the areas. The location of the new housing should be strategic so as to ensure that the houses are built in areas that are conducive for human interaction and development (Jiboye, 2011). The most important places in the country which need to be regenerated are the slums. This is because these areas have a lot of people who are both employed and unemployed. The living standards of such people in these areas are poor because they have no enough space to make ends meet. The areas are congested due to the migration of people from the rural areas to the urban areas, which makes the population in the slums to increase. In order to ensure that the areas are regenerated and developed, the people should be well distributed in plots and cities in order to ensure that they get the best quality life. Conditions and tenure The condition of housing in Nigeria depends on the class of people living in a particular area. This means that there are people who live in big, well furnished and comfortable houses and there are those who live in slums and crowded areas. Therefore, the administrative environment which includes the professionals, political leaders, cultural leaders and also those in authority have to consider the housing system of the poor. They can do this by regenerating and updating the housing tenure of those people who are poor, together with ensuring that security is given to them (Nwaka, 2005). The urban governance in Nigeria would therefore be improved, and the state of the people improved as well. This means that participation has to be enhanced between the local formal and informal sector thus ensuring a full settlement of the people. Most of the people in the urban areas are not well educated and thus they seek to find a place to live in urban areas in order to find a place to settle in these areas. According to Francis (1986), the distribution of land in Nigeria has not been equal since the beginning of time. History has it that the people in Nigeria have been living under unequal treatment and the reformations concerning the conditions of land tenure would be inclusive of the cultural system in the country. The land tenure in Nigeria hinders the production of Agriculture and thus the people who live in the rural areas leave their homes for the urban areas in order to seek employment, thus making the urban areas to be congested and crowded. Economic trends In Nigeria, housing is considered to be a national investment, and this is because of the fact that housing would be a bridge to the future economic growth of the country. In order to determine the economic trends of Nigeria, it is important to come up with the various ways in which the country can use in order to create wealth and promote the economy of the country. Creation of wealth can only be done by the people who feel worth and comfortable. This is the mirror towards the establishment and continuity of economic growth in the country. If the living standard of the people in Nigeria is improved, they will work towards the creation of wealth and thus improve the economic growth of the country. Nigeria’s president ensured the citizens of the country that the government would make it possible for all members of the public to access housing irrespective of their socio-economic status. The housing sector would be transformed by the introduction of the National Housing Policy and National Urban Development Policy which make the transformation and development process to be fast and effective. The development of the houses would be made to ensure that the talented people are brought into place so as to ensure that resources are well used and utilized and thus promote the regeneration of the houses. The economy intervenes in this kind of renovation such that no element is left behind and all are used for the benefit of the society. The economic trend in the transformation of the housing system made it possible for the investment process to be increased especially in the private sector. Policy and legal framework The hosing policy includes the making of decisions that affect the housing development and choosing from the many decisions that may have been brought up. The policies influencing housing development may be political, financial, those affecting the administration mechanisms, and the management. The housing policy is made to ensure that all housing needs are met. The policies determine some of the issues that should be considered in guiding how the houses should be developed and regenerated in order to respond to the special needs of the individuals (Jiboye, 2011, p. 122). Nigeria has stimulated a policy to be used in the facilitation of the development of infrastructure alongside the housing regeneration and development. The urban development is considered in order for the housing needs to be met. Some of the factors to be considered in order to ensure that the housing policies are met are economic considerations that promote the process of housing development, the size of household income, prices that would be incurred in the development and regeneration of the houses and the trends of the finances that would be used, including the interest rates. In housing development, the environment within which the people live in should be well understood in order to determine the type of environment for the people and the quality of that particular environment. The quality and the type of environment should be considered in terms of space and facilities that the community can be able to access. The policies and legal framework in Nigeria have always been made but the implementation of such policies is not made. The policies that are being put in place are not most of the time implemented and thus the issue of putting together the housing needs is not well dealt with because of the political situation of that particular country. Nigeria has no political will to ensure that the citizens’ efforts to acquiring a good settlement and better standards of living. The government of Nigeria should therefore ensure that it puts more effort to deal with the problem of settlement for its citizens and ensure that they get good standards of living (Ademiluyi, 2010). Nigeria’s official policies for hosing and planning have not in the past been very helpful because they have not been well affected. The only people who benefit from the housing program are the prominent people in the society who include the rich people, the professionals, top government officials and the privileged people in the society. Most of the houses in the informal areas such as slums are so much crowded and most of the people do not financial need and help. The areas are therefore prone to diseases and the hygiene of such places is not well updated. The people in Nigeria are facing social segregation because they are not treated the same (Nwaka, 2005). Nigeria’s legal framework has been influenced by the Government, whereby the people in authority and the housing planners tend to blame the problems associated with the housing system to informal sector in the country. Therefore, the leaders and the people in authority have been able to deal with some of the challenges that are brought about by this informal sector. They have come up with strategies to help the people in the local community and have therefore decided to seek power for the control and regulation of all the people in Nigeria. The local community has to therefore decide on some of the issues that they need to put in place, which include the need for the people to provide legal titles to their land, public housing, and mortgage finance. However, the poor are able to get these things as the purchase of land would be too much expensive and they may not be able to afford it. Therefore, the informal sector remains dominant in the provision of land and housing in most parts of the urban and pre urban areas in Nigeria (Nwaka, 2005). Avenues open to housing Housing search in Nigeria has been made possible by the middle income earners in Nigeria. New avenues have been used in order to ensure that the information is got and given to the people who may in one way or another become the potential buyers of the houses. Some of the Avenues that are being used to give data and information to potential home owners are banks and financial institutions (Aluya, 2008). Information is centralized in a server whereby the customers can be able to have an influence on the real transactions that take place due to the system that has been put in place which is very effective and updated. The information in the server contains the affordability of the houses in Nigeria and thus the buyers can be able to establish the areas that they would consider worth to them and which they view as affordable according to their living conditions and standards. In order to determine the avenues that would be used, technology can be implemented and the people would be able to locate properties online. They can be able to identify some of the efficient places that they might consider to be their homes and thus Nigeria becomes a city belonging to the electronic village. It is therefore important for Nigeria to ensure that it incorporates and establish a marketplace that is electronic and which can transform the city to become electronic and adapt to the process of doing business through the use of technology. If the housing system is integrated with the technological information provided by the professionals, it means that there would be a connection between the stakeholders who would work towards the creation of affordable housing (Aluya, 2008). Urban professionals engaging in housing In Nigeria, it is evident that the planning, programming and implementation of the mass housing Policy and program suffer grossly from planning inconsistency and weak organizational structures Due to political instability, and over centralized mechanism of decision making and execution. For instance, most of the houses built by government tagged low-income housing are rather too expensive and out of the reach the targeted low-income group. Also, many of the housing units were located many kilometers away from those who require them and from the functionally active boundaries where socio-economic activities take place within the cities. The involvement of the public sector in housing in Nigeria has been more of policy formulation than housing delivery. Despite huge allocations of money to the housing sector, there is no doubt that the magnitude of the quantitative housing needs of Nigerians is enormous considering the rapid increase in population, and the rate at which urbanization is occurring in the country. For instance, the housing reforms embarked upon by the Federal Government (1999 – 2007) involved the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. The ministry was, inter alia, to supervise the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, especially in the disbursement of loans from contributions into the National Housing Trust Fund. Urban professionals are needed in Nigeria in order to ensure that they engage in the settlement of the people in the regions, especially the urban areas where there is so much congestion and lots of people who need housing support. The Government officials in Nigeria have said that it is difficult for the settlements to be improved, and this is due to the fact that it is difficult to connect the settlements of all the people with the urban infrastructure and services in order to reinforce social equality and avoid physical exclusion. The officials in Nigeria are also said to have made restrictions on land availability, and they have as well made the bureaucratic procedures to be difficult, thus encouraging the growth of more and more irregular settlements in the cities and on empty public land. Conclusion The housing study is done so as to ensure that the people’s needs are met in order to ensure a better habitation. Without a good understanding of how a country can be able to settle the people especially those in the urban areas, it would be difficult to deal with the developmental intervention in such a particular country. In order to ensure a stable housing system, developing countries should therefore be able to identify with the needs of the society and thus ensure that regeneration and development of housing is done. The process by which the housing system is developed helps in the improvement of the people’s living standards and ensures promotion of the country’s economy (Bramley, Munro, & Pawson, 2004). Nigeria has come up with policies which can ensure the development of the houses in the county. These policies would only be possible if there is good governance and leadership in the country. The transformation of the housing system would be enhanced if there are resources and materials provided by the local community and the public as well. The only way in which house regeneration can be enhanced in the country is when there is equality among all the people of the country. This can be made possible if jobs are created all over the country, both in the rural and urban areas. If jobs are created in the rural areas through the Agricultural sector, there would be less migration of people to the urban areas and thus settlement would be done easily with fewer people in the urban areas (Ogu & Ogbuozobe, 2001). References Ademiluyi, I. A., 2010. Public Housing Delivery Strategies in Nigeria: A Historical Perspective of Policies and Programmes. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 12 (6). Ajanlekoko, J. S., 2001. Sustainable Housing Development in Nigeria- the Financial and Infrastructural Implication. Retrieved on 7th Dec 2012 from http://www.fig.net/pub/proceedings/nairobi/ajanlekoko-cmws1-1.pdf Aluya, J., 2008. Housing Phenomena in Abuja, Nigeria: A Case Study. London: AuthorHouse. Bramley, G., Munro, M., and Pawson, H., 2004. Key Issues in Housing – Policies and Markets in 21st Century. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Francis, P., 1986. LAND nationalization and Rural land Tenure in Southwest Nigeria. Retrieved on 7th Dec 2012 from http://www.ilri.org/InfoServ/Webpub/fulldocs/Bulletin24/Land.htm Jiboye, A. D., 2011. Achieving Sustainable Housing Development in Nigeria: A critical Challenge to Governance. International Journals of Humanities and social Science, 1 (9). Jiboye, A. D., 2011. Urbanization challenges and housing delivery in Nigeria: The need for an effective Policy framework for Sustainable Development. International Review Social Sciences and Humanities. Mehta, P., 2006. The Impact of urban regeneration on Local Housing Markets. Retrieved on 6th Dec 2012 from http://www.engagingcommunities2005.org/abstracts/Nwaka- Geoffrey-final.pdfhttp://www.ljmu.ac.uk/BLT/BUE_Docs/mehta.pdf Nwaka, G. I., 2005. The Urban Poor, the Informal City and Environmental Health Policy in Nigeria. Retrieved on 7th Dec 2012 from http://www.engagingcommunities2005.org/abstracts/Nwaka-Geoffrey-final.pdf Ogu, V. I., & Ogbuozobe, J. E., 2001. Housing policy in Nigeria: towards enablement of private housing development. Habitat International, 25 (4), 473-492. Read More