APPRAISAL OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MASS HOUSING PROGRAMME IN THE FCT, ABUJA

Thesis Overview

<p> <b>1.0 INTRODUCTION&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></p><p><b>1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY&nbsp;</b></p><p>As the scale of the housing challenge in the developing world is increasing at an alarming pace, the need for real action to address affordable housing supply is becoming increasingly critical. To deal with this challenge governments and local authorities are updating their knowledge on global housing policy approaches in order to formulate effective policy instruments. Over the years Nigeria has developed and implemented a number of housing policies and strategies, in an attempt to address the housing of its citizens and particularly the low-income group (Abdullahi 2010). Abuja has been experiencing very rapid urbanization. This is largely due to urban growth associated with natural population growth and rural-urban migration driven by rapid socio-economic changes and development, tied to the movement of the seat of Federal Government of Nigeria from Lagos to Abuja in 1991. However, this growth has not been matched with simultaneous provision of adequate housing infrastructure. The demand for basic infrastructure services has also grown over the years, quickly outstripping the supply capacity of existing assets which manifested in the acute shortage of dwelling units and resulted in overcrowding, high rents, poor urban living conditions. Many years of under-investment and poor maintenance have left Abuja with a significant infrastructure deficit which is holding back the city development and economic growth. Abuja needs to make massive investments beyond the means available to government in order to close its yawning infrastructure gap. The Federal Government believes that the private sector can play an important role in providing some of this new investment through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Therefore, the need to provide adequate, suitable and equitable housing has remained a major&nbsp; priority of the government, since that piecemeal housing can never solve the housing requirement of the country estimated at about 16 million units (Gemade, 2010). With the declining financial resources of government on housing delivery and other infrastructural services, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) has been widely advocated for housing and infrastructure development in Nigeria as part of recent housing reforms. The National Housing Policy (NHP, 2006) marked a significant transition of the government to position itself as enabler and facilitator in housing delivery.&nbsp;</p><p>It advocated increased participation by the private sector and emphasized government’s role in creating conditions to boost housing supply by eliminating legal and regulatory constraints and supporting appropriate infrastructure investments. This entailed a notable shift in the public sector role from direct housing provision to engaging the private sector in constructing, financing, operating and maintaining housing units. Deriving from international documents such as the Global Strategy for Shelter to the year 2000 (UNCHS, 1992), and later Enabling Markets to work (World Bank, 1993), subsequent policy documents like Nigeria National Housing Policy (NHP, 2006) emphasized the policy thrust of simultaneously enhancing and changing the roles of the public and private sectors. This new role requires that real estate developers learn how to build houses to particular price targets, so that members of different income groups can aspire to the status of home ownership. The purpose of all these policies is to ensure that all Nigerians especially the low income groups own or have access to decent, safe and healthy housing accommodation that would be achieved through a private sector led housing delivery system anchored on mass construction of houses and strong mortgage finance (NHP, 2006). Therefore, the FCT Administration in recognition of the fact that neither the 3 public nor the private sector is able to address the problem individually, resolved to partner directly or indirectly with private sector housing developers to accomplish the Federal Government desire of providing adequate housing to citizens, especially the low income group in conformity with the Abuja Master Plan.&nbsp;</p><p>The design of the Federal Capital City of Abuja was provided in a four phase development, with the city divided into sectors and further sub-divided into districts. The phase one of the city that has been completed consists of the central Business District (CBD), the three arms zone comprising of the Presidency, National Assembly and the Judiciary, Maitama, Wuse I and II, Garki I and II and Asokoro districts. Also, the phase two, which commenced development simultaneously with phase one consists of Katampe, Mabushi, Utako, Wuye, Durumi, Gudu, Jabi, Kaura, Dakibiyu, Duboyi, Gaduwa, Duste, Kukwaba National park and four sector centers. (Figure 1.2) All these areas have their accompanied housing environment to accommodate the bulk of its residence. Phase Three has six residential districts and four sector centers. However, the detailed land use plan for phases III and IV are still begin processed, and the planned and unplanned population for these areas are causing overcrowding of the built up areas.&nbsp;</p><p><b>1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM</b>&nbsp;</p><p>Mass Housing programme involving the public-private partnership was launched in the year 2000, towards providing adequate housing stock for the growing population of the federal capital territory. Under this arrangement, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is expected to provide land and required primary infrastructure to the housing development sites while the developers provide the houses and tertiary infrastructure according to the approved specifications of the FCT authority. However, the implementation of mass housing programme has been ongoing for a long time now but there does not seem to be much progress with respect to adequate provision of infrastructure and home ownership by the programme, indicating that critical gap exists between programme’s target and reality. Various studies on implementation of Government housing programmes have always adopted performance criteria to assess the outcome in terms of quantity of housing units delivered, affordability of the units to target population and accessibility to low income earners (Aribigbola, 2008; Ndubueze, 2009; Agbola, 1998; Mabogunje, 2003). The authors have identified administrative factors as the main reasons for the poor implementation of Government housing programmes. With the PPP programmes in housing provisions, there is a change in the role of the government from a provider of housing to an enabler.&nbsp;</p><p>This is argued to be important for enhancing the performance of the housing market by encouraging public institutions, private developers and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to be involved in joint decision-making and management of housing provisions which can contribute to sustainable housing development. Nevertheless, it is observed that there are problems with the implementation of the PPP mass housing programme in the FCT. There is therefore the need to investigate implementation of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mass housing programme in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and to provide explanations for the level of implementation. This investigation shall help in understanding of the shortcomings with the implementation of the programme which shall serve as guide for future programmes.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;The study therefore sets to answer the following questions.&nbsp;</p><p>a. What is the level of implementation of the mass housing delivery programme under the public private partnership in the FCT?&nbsp;</p><p>b.What are the factors affecting PPP mass housing delivery programme in the FCT?&nbsp;</p><p><b>1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY</b></p><p><b><i>1.3.1 AIM&nbsp;</i></b></p><p>To appraise the implementation mass housing delivery programme in the FCT and provide necessary suggestion for improved mass housing in the study area.&nbsp;</p><p><b><i>1.3.2 OBJECTIVES&nbsp;</i></b></p><p>The Specific objectives of this study include the following&nbsp;</p><p>i. To examine the concept and strategies of Housing Delivery in urban centers.&nbsp;</p><p>ii. To examine the Mass Housing Policy and its requirement in the FCT.&nbsp;</p><p>iii. To assess the implementation of the mass housing programme under the public private partnership in the FCT to determine level of success achieved so far.&nbsp;</p><p>iv. To highlight the factors for the implementation of mass housing programme in the FCT.&nbsp;</p><p>v. To offer suggestions towards improvement in the implementation of the mass housing programme.&nbsp;</p><p><b>1.4 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY&nbsp;</b></p><p>The study will focus on public private partnership mass housing programme in phase III and IV of Federal Capital City (FCC) Abuja, which commenced in the year 2000. It will also evaluate the implementation of the programme in housing delivery in the FCT between years 2000 to 2010. The study is limited by unavailability or unwilling attitude of most stakeholders to give necessary data for the research.&nbsp;</p><p><b>1.5 DEFINITION OF TERMS&nbsp;</b></p><p><b><i>1.5.1 HOUSING&nbsp;</i></b></p><p>Housing is defined as the process of providing functional shelter in a proper setting within a neighborhood supported by sustainable maintenance of the built environment for the day- to-day living and activities of individuals and families within the community (FRN,2006).&nbsp;</p><p><b><i>1.5.2 MASS HOUSING&nbsp;</i></b></p><p>This refers to a form of housing provision in which houses are built in large number or quantity in a particular area. According to the report of the presidential committee on urban development and housing (2000), mass housing is defined as the process of providing a large number of residential buildings on a permanent basis with adequate physical infrastructure and social services in a planned, decent, safe and sanitary neighbourhood to meet the basic and special needs of the population.&nbsp;</p><p><b><i>1.5.3 HOUSING DELIVERY PROGRAMME&nbsp;</i></b></p><p>Housing programmes, are specific strategies usually initiated to increase the housing stock in a country. They are instruments for implementing housing policies. According to Lawal (1997), housing programme requires effective administration, professional and technical skills, planned strategies, careful use of available resources, availability of building materials, collection of data on the existing housing stock,&nbsp; adequate financial mechanism and involvement of the public and private sectors of the economy. Further, a housing delivery programme should aim to match the identified potential housing demand of the people needing housing over a defined timescale. The rational for a housing delivery programme needs to be based on the analysis of current supply and projected demand for housing identified and key messages from a range of partners. It is in recognition of the importance of housing as a unit of the environment which has a profound influence on the health, efficiency, social behavior; satisfaction and general welfare of the community that housing policy is formulated and housing programme are embarked upon (FRN, 1991).&nbsp;</p><p><b><i>1.5.4 HOUSING DELIVERY SYSTEM&nbsp;</i></b></p><p>The housing delivery system involves a complex process which flows in stages and in a sequential series to produce a housing unit or units (Agbola, 1998). This process essentially involves the bringing together of housing resources such as labor, land, finance and building materials to produce new housing. Housing delivery system also includes the policy, process and methods of making the current stock available to the household. Thus, the housing system encompasses the whole gamut of activities or processes involved in the production and allocation of housing units to the households. <br></p>