1.0
INTRODUCTION
Housing is
universally accepted as the second most essential need of man, after food and
clothing (Abdulkarim, 2005.) A great
deal of attention has been given to the issue of housing worldwide. Several
research papers have been written by policy makers and stakeholders. The United Nations Human Settlement Program.
(UN-HABITAT) underscores the importance of housing by creating in May, 1979,
the Housing Policy and Development Section (HPDS) . (Abdulkarim, 2005.)
Despite being an
essential need, affordable housing provision is a major problem confronting developing
countries. Nigeria
as a country is not excluded from this plight.
Several efforts have been made by the government to find lasting
solutions to the problem of inadequate housing in the country.
Mass housing
delivery commenced in Nigeria
with the formation of the Nigeria Building Society in 1956 which later
metamorphosed into a full fledge mortgage banking institution by Decree No. 7
of 1977. Thereafter, the National
Housing Fund was established to provide a source of affordable long term mortgage
funds to help facilitate home ownership.
All these
efforts coupled with the provision of several mass housing in different parts
of the country have done little to alleviate the problem. This is buttressed by a United Nations (UN)
Habitat Survey between 1991-2001, indicating the requirement of 392,000 housing
units for the urban areas and 345,000 for the rural areas for this period and a
total of 1,126,000 units deficit in the total housing stock. The reports further indicates that there is
an annual requirement of 70,000 unit for urban areas and it is evident from
these statistics that there is a need for new strategies to be put in place to
tackle the challenges posed by housing and shelter inadequacy. (Isimi, 2005).
In response to
the massive shortfall in housing stock, the Federal Government set up a panel
of experts headed by Dr. Peter Odili to evaluate the problem of mass housing
delivery and proffer solution to the problems in the sector. This led to the introduction of a new Housing
and Urban Development policy in 2002 by the Federal Government as a stimulus
for mass housing delivery in Nigeria .
Although, the
current reform programmes in the nation has made some impact, the quest for an
adequate and affordable housing delivery in Nigeria remains a mirage.
Consequently, this paper is set out to identify why several housing policies
and options adopted have not delivered as expected and roles architectural
educators are expected to play in providing possible alternatives to the
problem.
2.0
HOUSING SITUATION IN NIGERIA
Housing problems in Nigeria are enormous and complex
exhibiting apparent and marked regional differences especially in terms of
rural-urban variation. Rapid urban growth associated with accelerated tempo of
social-economic development has seriously aggravated the shortage of dwelling
units resulting in over-crowding, high rent, slum and squatter settlements
which are visible features of the urban scene in Nigeria (Arigbigbola, 2000).
Housing problem is neither new nor peculiar to Nigeria : it is
a universal problem. Housing as a problem of human welfare is as old as the
human race. In Nigeria ,
housing development are embarked upon by both the formal and informal sectors,
with the latter producing the large number of housing units.
Efforts by the Nigerian government to intervene in
the housing delivery crisis resulted in the formulation of different housing
policies, establishment of housing corporations and mortgage finance
institutions. Attempts would be made in the next section to identify, summarize
and appraise various government interventions in the quest for adequate and
affordable housing in Nigeria
2.1 Housing Policy, Programmes, and
Provisions-An Appraisal
Government intervention in housing became evident in
1971, when the National Council on Housing
was established and it consists of all state commissioners responsible for
housing. In 1972, a National Housing Programme was established. Under the
programme, the Federal Government planned to construct 59, 000 dwelling units
as follows: 15,000 units in Lagos
and 4, 000 units in the other eleven state capitals. In the same year, the
Staff Housing Board was established to replace and perform the functions of the
African Staff Housing Scheme, and for the purpose of granting loans to civil
servants to enable them build or purchase their own homes. The Federal Housing
Authority (FHA) was also created in 1973 to coordinate a nationwide programme
(Onibokun, 1985). During this period, emphasis was placed on five yearly
development plans as the vehicle for economic growth. However, the first and
second National Development plans did not accord housing any priority. It was
during the third National Development plan (1975-80) that the government
decided to participate directly and actively in the provision of housing rather
than leaving it principally to the private sector. Within the planned period,
202, 000 dwelling units were programmed for construction as follows: 50,000
units for Lagos
and 8,000 units in each of the other 19, states. It is pertinent to note that
by the end of the plan period, less than fifteen percent (15%) of the houses
had been completed (Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, 1991).
In 1976, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria
(F.M.B.N) was created to replace the Nigerian Building Society and for the
purpose of granting mortgage loans to the public. Between 1980 and 1985, about
1.9 billion naira was budgeted for housing in the fourth National Development
Plan; an estimated sum of six hundred million naira (N 600m) was
expended on its implementation. Despite this very high level of investment, the
impact of the programme on the overall housing market was extremely
negligible (FMW &H, 1991).
The National Housing Policy (and its financial
component NHF) has been in operation for over eight years now. A review of its
implementation and performance did not show any remarkable influence in housing
delivery in the country. Between 1992 and
July 1999, only N80 million was approved and
disbursed to 180 contributors out of N 3.735
billion collected from over 1,624,857 NHF contributors nationwide, through
eight PMI's who are retail lenders (FMBN news, 1998, Guardian, September 6,
1990).
Since inception of the policy, only 180 contributors
have been given loans. This yielded only additional 180 dwelling units to only
0.01 percent of contributors. In summary, less than 2 percent of contributors
benefited. When this level of performance is matched with the role expected of
the NHF and goal of the housing policy, one may conclude that the programme has
not taken off or it is already a failure (Arigbibola, 2000).
3.0
DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR ADEQUATE
AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Several
strategies have been postulated as a means of attaining adequate and affordable
housing in developing countries. Of all these strategies, design criteria have
not been given much consideration as a potent means of achieving adequate and
affordable housing stock in Nigeria .
This section discusses the viability of design approaches as a solution to
effective housing delivery.
3.1 Optimization
of Use of Local Building
As at present,
the use of local building materials is confined to the less-privileged. The use
of local building materials has two major constraints: (a) Socio-cultural and (b) Technological. The socio-cultural dimension is inherent in
people’s perception that those using local building materials are poor and
belong to the low socio- stratum in the society. The use of modern building materials has been
conceived as the ultimate in the socio-economic environment of the country and
so every body aspires to own a building made of modern materials to indicate arrival to a
higher class.
Consequently, a policy thrust that advocates the use of
local building materials, no matter the myriad of housing problems, is seen as
backwardness rather than progressiveness.
The
technological dimension of the use of local building materials is based on the
shortcomings of these materials. For
instance, earth has low tensile stress and so cannot be used to span long spaces. Vegetative materials such as timber, grass,
etc. have low fire resistance and are vulnerable to insect attacks.
The
constraints, notwithstanding, a good policy strategy is to promote and
encourage the use of local building
materials through a bold and aggressive campaign
and supported by extended building research programmes to explore and document practical ways of
improving labour productivity and
material strength.
3.2 Application
of Partially Industrialized Intermediate Technologies
There has been pessimistic view
about the potentials of industrialized housing in developing countries. It is argued that such building
systems are more capital and less- labour intensive (Gokhale, 1978, National
Planning Office, 1980 and Terner and Turner, 1972). However, the adoption of
partially industrialized, intermediate technologies can mitigate ad correct
many of the deficiencies and failures observed in the full industrialization.
According to Terner and Turner (1972), full
industrialization has four major components: systems design, labour
specialization, concentration and mechanization. The first two aspects, when
combined together are termed partial industrialization. They can be undertaken
with very little cost or risk. . Basically, what is required is a commitment of
design time to produce a modular building component sensitive and appropriate
to the needs of a given area. (Gokhale, 1978).
Adewale (2004) argues that a design that uses a
planning module of 300mm which is a multiple and sub-multiple of sizes of many
building materials in the market; and modular space of a multiple of 1200mm
(the size of the largest ceiling sheets in the market) will not only minimize
waste but also increase speed of construction and may not require high-skilled
labour and thus cost-effective. He stresses further that a systems design, by
the virtue of proportional relationship of building elements, enhances
architectural uniformity and harmony.
Attempts at rationalized design have led to evolution
of many product strategies including various types of panels, framing and
volumetric systems. The size and complexity of the components ranges from
relatively small, simple and standardized brick, block and mat components, to
rather large and complex room-sized and even house-sized modules. The packaging
system that embraces componentization (intermediate technologies) rather than
unitized system is considered the best option in less-developed countries.
Terner and Turner (1972) highlight its advantages as
follows:
- Possibility of incremental housing development without large savings or access to credit as opposed to house-sized packages where the buyer needs a relatively large bundle of savings, or at least access to credit.
- Possibility of avoiding extra costs for special handling and transportation.
- Possible combination of a relatively smaller number of standardized building components by the individuals to suit a great diversity of individual needs and thus can be manipulated to conform to the user's living patterns.
3.3 Appropriate
Building Configuration
Choice of building form has been considerably
influenced by many factors which ranges from technological to social-cultural.
The concerns of most home owners are not just functional requirements - space,
convenience, accommodation- but the level of esteem the housing represents for
the occupants i.e. individual identity. The slogan is: the greater the
individuality of the form and appearance of the dwellings the greater the
dwellings acceptability. These forms, most of the time, have great cost
implications. Kendall (1972) took a comparative analysis of the
cost–effectiveness of round plan and non-round plan. Although circular plan has
a lower floor-wall perimeter ratio than non-round plan, waste of materials and
high level of craftsmanship needed for its construction make it less
cost-effective. This shape also, does not conform to the shape of furniture,
and picture available in the market. Corollary to this consideration is the
fact that corners represent additional expense. Thus, a simple rectangular plan
is cheaper than a cut-up plan of equivalent area.
3.4 Choice of Roof Types
It is often very difficult to
separate roof design from building form considerations. The two are twin factors
which together enhance the final outlook of a building. There has been a change
of concept from simple roof design to complex roof system without taking
cognizance of the cost implication. Basically there are two simple roof styles
in vogue: the gable and the hipped roof. While consideration should be given to
the cost and the task of repairing gable ends it is possible with a reasonably
pitched gable roof to use the space under the roof slope for living and for
storage. This is not so feasible, however, with a hipped roof which,
incidentally, is slightly more expensive to construct because of complicated
framing, additional labour of laying the sheets at the four intersections and
additional length of gutters and waste of materials.
By the same
taken those roof types with a variety of slopes and changes in roof surface add
to the cost of housing; dormers and projecting porches require additional
cutting, framing and flashing. With complicated types of roof the maintenance
cost becomes more burdensome.
3.5 Adopting
Low Cost Construction Technologies
The adoption of mortaless block
construction is perhaps the most germane towards adequate and affordable
housing in Nigeria. The basic theory behind this is the elimination of mortar
through an interlocking design system. It offers considerable advantages over
the conventional masonry method: the shorter site time and ease in assemblage
that permits the use of unskilled labour reduces cost of construction. (Terral,
1972 & Masonry construction, 1999).
3.6 Open
Aesthetics
The continual progress of
production technology in industrialized countries periodically has significant
global effects on many aspects of the economy: productivity and the price of
goods and services, the organization of labour, the unemployment rate, wage
levels income and ultimately, the portion of a household budget available for
housing. Economic changes can also be triggered by various other factors such
as an increase in consumer demand, stock market speculation, national and
foreign monetary policies preferential interest rates, free trade agreements,
worldwide commercial liberalism etc.
These frequent, unavoidable and generally
unpredictable changes create economic uncertainty that may affect the household
financial situation in the current economy. Thus, the critical performance for
any mass housing or low-income housing becomes the ability to easily
accommodate and adjust to these changes. In most cases, it is clear that
initial house which often barely fulfils the most urgent, immediate needs can
hardly be counted upon to fulfill future needs as well.
One of the best ways of responding to this challenge
is the concept of open aesthetics. By open aesthetics, it is meant an
adaptation of dwelling unit to radical changes (Gyuse , 1981)
To facilitate this adaptability, Laberge (1999)
suggests a variety of schemes, which is stated inter alia:
- Design the dwelling entrance, hall and internal traffic areas to accommodate separate access and independent ways of life. This will allow renting a part of the dwelling for supplementary income in the event of unexpected financial difficulties.
- Focus on design strategies that minimize irritants, preserve an independent way of life and allow separate socio-affective relations for each occupant. This will allow for shared occupancy of the dwelling with an additional tenant (who may be unrelated) contributing to household expenses and at the same time solving housing need.
- Design the dwelling entrance, hall and internal traffic areas to allow customers and visitors to be accommodated while preserving the household's privacy. This will allow using a part of the dwelling for working at home to earn supplementary income in the event of unexpected financial difficulties.
3.7 Application
of Passive Control Techniques
The potentials of local
environmental techniques in Nigerian traditional houses to provide comfortable
environments are now being discovered. Features such as wind catchers,
evaporative coolers and the use of thermal mass effect in external walls can
all be developed in contemporary shelter to create comfortable environments.
Such technologies will no doubt, not only reduce the capital cost but also the
cost of maintaining and servicing the dwelling units, and thus, make housing
affordable to the prospective home owners.
4.0 CONCLUSION
The major impediments to achieving the desired
improvement in housing delivery include finances, land acquisition,
stakeholders’ participation and research and development.
All interventions in the above mentioned areas have
not proved potent enough to solve the problem at hand. Consequently there is a
need to look at the potentials of design strategies, which can be employed to
reduce the cost of housing stock in Nigeria. For these strategies to become
potent, architectural educators have significant roles to perform, which
include the following:
- AARCHES, through the Nigeria Institute of Architects, should make a proposal to both National University Commission, and National Board for Technical Education to redesign architectural education curriculum to propagate these design strategies
- Shift their orientation of architectural students from western design ideologies right from their first years in school, to more adaptable design approaches and technologies.
- The potential of sustainability imbedded in African traditional buildings should be emphasized in all schools of architecture.
- Research should henceforth, focus on traditional building material and technologies that are cheap and readily available for the construction of houses.
- The
monitoring bodies such as ARCON, NIA, NBTE, NUC e.t.c Should sensitize the
government on the need to encourage the patronage of
- Museums and Documentation centres in Nigeria should make it a point of duty to preserve and propagate African indigenous architecture so as to ensure it vitality and continuity.
It is believed that if the general cost of owning a
house is reduced, several Nigerians will have shelter over their heads.
Consequently, assisted self-help housing policy will be strengthened by an
effective design strategy with the aim of cost reduction as a major consideration.
REFERENCES
1.
Abdulkarim, Masud (2005):
"Policy Issues on Mass Housing Delivery and Aspects of Assisted Self-Help
schemes", Journal of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Vol. 4
No 4, September, 2005.
2.
Adewale (2004): "The Design
of Ipapo-Iseyin Farm Settlement". An M. Arch Design Dissertation,
Department of Architecture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
3.
Aribigbola (2000):
"Conceptual Issues in Housing and Housing Provision in Nigeria "
in Akinbamijo, et al (eds), Effective Housing in the 21st Century.
The Environmental Forum, Akure.
4.
Central Mortgage Housing
Corporation 91970): Choosing a House Design, Central Mortgage & Housing
Corporation.
5.
Federal Ministry of Works and
Housing (1991): "New Housing Policy for Nigeria cited in, Abdulkarim, Masud, Policy Issues
on Mass Housing Delivery and Prospects of Assisted self-Help Schemes, Journal
of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Vol. 4 No 4, September, 2005.
6.
Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria
(1998): FMBN News Cited in Akinbamijo, et al (2001), Effective Housing in
the 21st Century, The Environmental Forum, Akure.
7.
Gokhale, R. G. (1978):
"Appropriate Technology for Urban Housing in India in India" in: Housing
Problems in Developing Countries: Proceedings of IAHS International Conference,
John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.
8.
Gyuse (1981): "Functional
Adaptability in Tiv Traditional Architecture", Journal of Tropical
Architecture, October/November 1981.
9.
Isimi, Baba (2005): "The
Role of the Private Sector in Housing Delivery in Nigeria", Journal of
the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Vol. 4 No 4, September, 2005.
10.
Kendall (1972): "The Question
and Answer" in: Housing Problems in Developing Countries; Proceedings
of IAHS International Conference, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.
11.
Onibokun, Poju (1983):
"Issues in Nigerian Housing: A Bibliographic Review", NISER, Ibadan.
12.
Terner, I.D and Turner J.F.C
(1972): "Industrialized Housing" Ideas
and methods Exchange No 66. The U.S.
Agency for International Development, Washington D.C.
No comments:
Post a Comment