Assessment Of Housing Need In Uyo Local Government Area In Akwa Ibom State
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Housing plays an important role in countries’ economies, and the housing sector represents a notable ratio in total economic activity of most countries. However, in spite of the importance of housing, the commercial banks in Libya have only allocated a small ratio of credit facilities for investment in this area, constitutes 5.5% from total credit facilities (Central Bank of Libya, 2004). Also the housing sector has become important due to the income expended on house rent, for instance, on average, poverty households in the US often spend more than 50% of their income on rent (Quigley, 1999).
Because of the importance of the housing, governments priorities this as an issue, but each time government changes, new housing policies are developed, for instance in US “each presidential administration since the new deal has promoted its own programmatic cure for the “housing crisis”. Kennedy and Johnson favored mortgage subsidies. The Nixon and Ford administrations heavily promoted granting fifteen-year rental income guarantee to new or renovated housing development tide to eligible tenants. The most recent Reagan and Bush administration policies represent a shift to consumer subsidies, including household rent supplements and the sale of the housing authority apartments to their tenants” (Salins 2005).
As a result of population increases, and the inability of many families to provide their own dwellings, there is a need on the part of governments to play a significant role in solving their housing problems. However, the responses are different according to political ideology, and in those countries which believe in socialism, the government takes upon itself all responsibilities including housing, whereas liberal governments require the participation of their private sectors to solve their housing problems. In this respect, it can be said that government involvement becomes a significant matter, either directly or indirectly interference. Whichever their political leaning, however, all governments should develop appropriate policies to solve their housing problems according to country situation.
Housing is one of the basic needs of life. The problem of supply in quantity is experienced in most developing economies like Akwa Ibom State (Ekop, 2006), the study area. This problem has been receiving attention by government and the private sector since the state was created in 1987. The problem is not peculiar to the state alone; it cut across the whole nation. It is against this background that the New National Housing Policy (NNHP) came into effect in Nigeria in 1991.
The objectives of the NNHP were to encourage and promote active participation in housing delivery in all tiers of Government, strengthen housing institutions to be more responsive to demands, emphasize housing investments which satisfy basic needs and encourage greater participation by the private sector in housing development (Ekop, 2006). It was also to provide housing for all Nigerians by the Year 2010. Roles were specified for the three tiers of government, federal, state and local, the apex and primary mortgage institutions and the various governmental agencies responsible for housing supply in order to achieve the overall national policy (FGN, 1991). The performances of the three tiers of government, their agencies, are among the issues to be examined in this study.
Since Nigeria attained independence in 1960, the provision of housing has become a paramount corner stone of the policies of variable government at the Federal and State level (Onibokun, 1985). These are manifested in the various National Development plans of the successive Federal Government; the high population of Nigeria with an estimated annual growth rate of 3% has further created stress in the housing demand of its citizenry (Ozo, 1987).
Government has consistently fallen short of the demand inspite of the conscious effort by both private and public sector to make for the provision of housing. Housing programs in Nigeria has really suffered in the past decades, although several attempt has been made by the government to solve housing problems but it still prove abortive. The slogan aimed at providing housing for all by the year 2000AD has become in effected in the Nigerian context.
According to Etim et al (2006); government’s approach to housing production has been through a provider system which is responsible for the high cost of finished houses. The second problem is the housing finance system which is hamstrung by lack of suitable forms of credit for the provision of houses for the less privileged. This problem is consequent upon current pervasive level of poverty, inhibiting savings and investment, poor fund mobilization and paucity long term finance for housing loan recovery
1.2 Statement of Problem
Akwa Ibom State have been experiencing increase in population since the state was created in 1987, without corresponding increase in the provision of social facilities such as housing (Ekop, 2006). It has been ascertain that 100% of housing stock in the country including the study area is provided by both the private and public sector, which at the same time are facing numerous problems such as difficulty in land acquisition, institutional bottlenecks and difficulties arising from the operation of land-use-Act. This turn have affected the housing supply inspite of the conscious effort made by all operators in housing development and this have arisen the state of overcrowding in our state.
Also the new Federal Government housing policy and the strategy adopted for its implementation often fail due to insufficient regards to standard planning process which makes it necessary that statistical information on resources and people should be obtained to ensure sustainable housing delivery in the state. In practice, housing delivery in the state has been through the emergency housing relief programs which favoured only the average and high income earners.
Therefore it is expedient to assess the performance of government and private sector initiatives in housing delivery in the state with a view to enhance sustainable housing delivery in the state.
1.3 Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide the study;
- To what extent does the various housing programmes succeed to addressing needs and demand of the citizens within the study area?
- Does access to land and capital constitute a problem to various housing programs in the study area considering the commercial pressure faced by this sector?
- How does the government agencies and the private sector contribute to the housing supply within the study area?
- What solution could be found to encourage the public and private sector to adopt measures of sustainable housing for citizens of the study area?
1.4 Aim and Objectives
The aim of this research is to assessment of housing need in Uyo local government area in Akwa Ibom State
To examine broadly the level of success of the past various housing programmes in addressing the housing needs and demand of Nigerians as well as the people of the study area.
To examine how easy it has been to gain access to land and capital towards various housing development.
To assess generally and also within the context of the NNHP the contributions of government agencies and private sector in housing supply between 1987 and 2007.
To outlined and recommend some principles of public and private sector housing development measures aimed at achieving sustainable housing programmes in Nigeria and the study area in general.