Region: Sub-Saharan Africa
Country: Nigeria
Keywords: Knowledge Lab, Municipal
Document(s):
Document Summary:
Since 2002 when the Nigerian government gave official recognition to public-private partnerships (PPPs) in housing, several PPP housing projects have been implemented in this country. However, the challenges and opportunities in PPP for housing the lowincome urban residents who incidentally have the most critical housing needs in Nigeria are not clearly understood. This paper examines the challenges and opportunities in PPP for housing the low-income urban residents in Nigeria. The paper relies on a systematic review of research literature and empirical data derived from oral interviews with 27 experts in nine PPP housing projects in Nigeria to achieve its goal. The paper reveals that the PPP experience in the Nigerian housing sector has mainly been in the provision of housing for the high-income earners; and also that the main reasons why PPP has not made any significant contribution to housing for the low-income earners in Nigeria were poor access to housing finance and developable land, the lack of uniform national policy on PPP in housing and over emphasis on housing for the high-income earners by the operators of PPP housing projects. The paper argues that although these challenges are not new to the Nigerian housing sector, PPP in housing for the low-income people presents a plethora of opportunities in promoting popular participation in public housing provision, encouraging the adoption of realistic housing standards; the use of local building materials; and leveraging the existing huge housing supply deficit in Nigeria to achieve efficiency in large scale production of affordable housing. The paper concludes by suggesting that further research is needed to explore how Nigeria can take maximum advantage of these opportunities in PPP in housing for the low-income earners.
Document Details:
This chapter relies on systematic review of published literature and empirical data derived from a research conducted between December 2014 and March 2015 involving oral interviews with experts in nine PPP housing projects in the six-geopolitical zones of Nigeria. It contributes to knowledge by improving understanding of the PPP experience in housing in Nigeria and the opportunities in PPP in housing for the low low-income earners in urban Nigeria. The chapter proceeds in five distinct sections. The first is an overview of urban housing challenges in Nigeria, followed by a discussion on the PPP experience in the Nigerian housing sector. Next is a critical examination of the challenges and opportunities in PPP for housing the low-income Nigerians, respectively. The chapter ends with some concluding remarks and recommendations.
Updated: April 12, 2022