Stakeholders Seek Reforms at National Lands, Housing Conference

Recently, major stakeholders in the lands, housing and urban development sector gathered in Gombe state to brainstorm on Nigeria’s challenges in the industry and ways to resolve the myriad of issues. Emmanuel Addeh writes that if implemented, the resolutions could prove critical to solving the problems facing the sector.

For years, Nigeria has faced significant challenges in the administration of its lands, housing, and urban development plans, ranging in the lands segment, from fragmentation, land grabbing and inadequate land governance.

In the housing sector, Nigeria’s housing deficit is by some estimates, over 20 millions units, made worse by a significant shortage of affordable shelter and  prices that are often out of reach for the low- and middle-income earners.

Over the years, Nigerians have also complained of living in substandard houses with inadequate amenities coupled with limited access to housing finance options, thereby hindering homeownership.

On the other hand, rapid urbanisation has continued to put pressure on existing infrastructure and services as urban areas often lack adequate roads, water, and sanitation.

Added to these, poor urban planning has led to haphazard development, congestion, and environmental degradation, even as inadequate waste management systems lead to environmental pollution and health risks.

So, to discuss these issues and find solutions to them, the National Council on Lands, Housing, and Urban Development met in Gombe recently at a meeting chaired overseen by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa.

Dangiwa was very clear about his vision and mission in the sector and what needed to be done to clear the mess that had been created over the years. Specifically, he assured that the National Urban Development Policy (NUDP), currently in the works, will make Nigerian cities sustainable and resilient.

Delivering the keynote address at the meeting, the minister said that although rapid urbanisation will see the nation’s urban population rise to 70 per cent by 2050, there’s an ongoing plan to make Nigerian cities ‘15-minute cities’.

Dangiwa added that the policy is currently awaiting approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), stressing that it is necessary for Nigeria’s sustainable future as it can promote public health, mitigate climate change, and create a safe ecosystem for all.

“The NUDP’s vision is clear: to transform Nigeria’s cities into well-functioning, prosperous, resilient, secure, and liveable spaces for all. Achieving this vision demands a ‘business unusual’ approach, one that replaces ‘urban pessimism’ with ‘urban optimism,’’ he said.

According to him, this means embracing high-density urban development over sprawl, safeguarding agricultural land and resources, and adopting integrated, evidence-based urban policies.

The NUDP, he stressed, also promotes a ‘healthy cities’ concept, integrating environmental health with secure, resilient urban spaces. This, according to him, involves essential services like waste management, water, sanitation, and local public health systems.

He described the ‘15-minute city’ model as one where essential services are within walking distance and offer accessible, self-sufficient neighbourhoods that promote health and connectivity.

Dangiwaemphasised that the need for an urban policy was long overdue considering the fast pace at which the nation’s urban population was increasing.

“We must grasp the scale of our urban growth and the profound challenges it brings. Nigeria’s urban population is expanding rapidly, driven by an annual growth rate of 4.1 per cent.

“From just 9.4 per cent in 1950, our urban population now exceeds 52 per cent, with projections indicating a rise to 70 per cent by 2050. By then, Nigeria will likely be the world’s third most populous country, with over 400 million people,” he stressed.

According to him, Nigeria has eight cities with a population above 1 million people each, and another 81 cities each with a population ranging from 100,000 to 1 million, and yet with 58.8 per cent of the urban dwellers living in slum conditions.

At the end of the event tagged: “Housing the Future: Affordable Housing for Economic Growth, Climate Resilience and Urban Development” held at the Gombe International Conference Centre, the stakeholders said they were sure about how to go about getting the problems solved.

The purpose of the council meeting was for relevant stakeholders in the sector from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT to deliberate and adopt policy measures towards provision of affordable housing for economic growth, climate resilient and urban developed society.

The event  which had in attendance the Gombe State Governor, InuwaYahaya as well as several federal lawmakers, it was learnt, reviewed a total of 84 memoranda submitted by the stakeholders of which 61 were actionable while two were informative and 21 were stepped down.

Yahaya highlighted Nigeria’s significant housing deficit, which he put at 28 million units and the need for substantial investment to address this challenge.

 He commended President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, which aims to construct 100,000 housing units over three years, and expressed Gombe state’s gratitude for being selected as a pilot state for the initiative.

The governor outlined the state’s achievements in land administration and urban planning, including the establishment of the Gombe Geographic Information Systems (GOGIS) to eliminate fraud and digitise land processes.

In their recommendations, the technical committee resolved to consider allowing state housing ministries to collaborate with private entities through partnerships managed by state housing corporations, rather than assuming direct control over housing projects.

In a communiqué after the meeting, the stakeholders agreed to support the quest for institutions to develop indigenous alternatives and natural green building materials for affordable housing delivery in Nigeria and sensitise on the construction standards to guarantee the structural integrity of buildings.

Among others, they also agreed to promote the issuance of executive order on compliance of all building construction in the country with the provision of the national building code and promote gradual adoption of green building practices into all housing developments to ensure sustainability and resilience against climate change.

Others included: “To establish a geospatial technology team and form a specialized team to integrate geospatial data into planning processes; initiate the review of the national policy on housing which among other things mandates governments at all levels to allocate at a fair price, 20 per cent of developable lands to low-income earners and provide them with credit facilities to help develop these lands within a specified period of time.”

The stakeholders also agreed to seek the introduction of educational initiatives aimed at increasing awareness and capacity for green building practices among relevant stakeholders and general public.

Aside the aforementioned, they resolved to encourage government at all levels to recognise through awards and honours for major green projects that meet a certain percentage of compliance.

In the main, the conference further resolved to convoke regular National Technical Developments Forum (NTDF) to strengthen the relationship between the federal and state governments on land administration matters.

The key decision makers in the sector also sought the collaboration of the federal, state, and local governments in the utilisation of the reviewed compensation rates.

Besides, they called for the collaboration of the World Bank, RAAMP, DFID, and other international funding organisations for continuous review and utilisation of the reviewed compensation rates for crops and economic trees.

They further resolved to encourage government at all levels to provide incentives to foster Community-based Organisations (CBOs) to engage in more affordable housing initiatives to ensure that developments align with local needs and preferences, as effective community engagement fosters local support and builds trust, thereby improving the success of projects.

In addition, the group called for financial institutions to create low-interest mortgage products and construction loans specifically tailored to low-and middle-income households;

The enactment of a law to enforce the provisions of the National Building Code, the group said, was a matter of urgency and adherence to building regulations at all levels of government to ensure quality and safety standards.

“It was resolved to encourage the use of survey co-ordination Act of 1962 and its amendments, which empowers the office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation to keep all geospatial information and data sets amongst others and make them available.

“To encourage government at all levels to enforce guidelines for periodic infrastructure assessments utilising Continuous Operating Reference Station (CORS) data, with a particular focus on areas prone to geological instability to identify early warning signs of structural instability and allowing for preventive measures to avert disasters and minimize costly emergency repairs;

“Seek the adoption of CORS technology for automated and high-precision monitoring of public infrastructure by the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation for public safety, operational efficiency, and effective risk management.

“To encourage the building of a robust technology-driven data system for social housing, leveraging the multidimensional poverty index and other relevant tools to ensure accurate targeting, monitoring & evaluation and encourage Mortgage Institutions to ensure ease of access to low interest long-term loans,” the stakeholders agreed.

The need for collaboration between the federal, states, and local governments in implementing the solutions for the improved wellbeing of people and the society at large was also discussed.

Besides, states were encouraged to grant tax rebates and incentives to public housing agencies and private developers that are willing to engage in social housing as well as create land banks for this purpose.

In addition, the government at all levels, the attendees said, were expected to allocate a percentage of budget for social housing provision; encourage Surveyors General to produce geo-spatial maps and data of flood plain zones to guide designers, developers and regulators in building right to mitigate the   effect of flooding in Nigeria.

According to the communiqué, government at all levels are also to invest in technology towards enhancing land administration for improved national development.

This is geared towards achieving sustainable development and streamlining and digitalising land titling and registration system to reduce delays, corruption and barriers to entry.

“State governments are encouraged to harmonise land titling procedures towards enhancing access by investors in the housing sector;  governments at all levels to ride on the REDAN’s Rural – Urban Housing Initiative (RUHI) programme.

“Encourage capacity building components for the local government officials and community stakeholders in the implementation of projects and programmes. This should be focused on project management, particularly on the intervention projects in their respective Local Government Areas,” the stakeholders added.

When the resolutions are implemented, they are expected to help develop affordable housing programmes blueprint, including subsidies and financing options.

Besides, investing in urban planning, infrastructure development, and waste management systems and encouraging public-private partnerships to address housing and urban development challenges are expected to take priority.

In addition, there’s the need to build the capacity of government institutions, professionals, and communities to address lands, housing, and urban development challenges.

These will in turn lead to improved access to affordable housing, enhanced economic growth and development, reduced poverty and inequality as well as raising living standards.