Follow Us on Google
From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
A group, Low Cost Housing Developers Association of Nigeria (LCHDA), has disclosed plans to build about 10 million affordable houses in five to 10 years to reduce the 28 million housing deficit in the country.
Emmanuel Excel Ogbeide, the founder and chairman of the association said this could be achieved with support from the governments and other partners in the housing sector within and outside the country.
Ogbeide, who disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Benin City ahead of the relaunching of the association in Lagos, described the housing deficit as a crisis in the country.
He said the association, which is a non-governmental organisation, is geared towards advocating and championing sustainable and affordable housing solutions to bridge the nation’s housing deficits.
According to him, Nigeria faces a profound housing deficit, a critical impediment to national development and social welfare.
“Current estimates place the deficit between 24 million and 28 million housing units, with an annual growth of approximately 900,000 units to keep pace with urbanisation and population growth.
“This shortfall disproportionately affects low and middle-income earners, exacerbating urban slums, overcrowding, and socio-economic inequality. This deficiency is a crisis nobody wants to talk about.
“Addressing this challenge requires a multi-faceted, collaborative approach between the private sector and all tiers of government.
“The Low Cost Housing Developers Association, through its robust collaborative model, intends to directly contribute five million houses in five years and 10 million houses in 10 years to the national economy.
“This initiative will do more than just put roofs over heads; it will function as a powerful engine for macro-economic growth, job creation, and social stability, effectively turning a critical national challenge into a historic economic opportunity,” he said.
He said that for the feat to be achieved, governments at all levels must ensure that all that has to be done in housing is supported.
Ogbeide who stressed that the 28 million housing deficit or shortage is a national crisis, however, urged that the governments should wake up to their responsibilities and be willing to release lands, process land documents faster than they are currently doing.
While noting that all the processes required for the development of housing can be done online to fast-track the operation, he, however, worried that much delay in government bureaucracies is negatively impacting the sector.
He, however, urged governments to find ways of assisting the informal sector, the artisans in the construction industry and ensure that they are being properly educated and financed.
He attributed the incessant collapse of buildings in the country to the activities of quacks, noting that it is the vision of the association to educate them in line with the international best practice
The LCHDA boss, who noted that the construction of housing with cement is on the high side in the country, added that other raw materials can be sourced locally.
He explained that the company is committed to making use of locally sourced materials to build prefabricated and modular houses.
“Governments should ensure that they do their part and not just only regulations but in advocacy, funding, financing, training and in partnership.
“The Public, Private Partnership, PPP is the way and the governments should be willing to work with the developers, make land available under good terms and conditions and be open to foreign direct investors by making security very stable in Nigeria,” he added.
