Historical Development of Nigerian Housing Policies with Special Reference to Housing the Urban Poor

Abstract

This chapter examines closely, in historical perspective, the development of Nigerian housing policies and the extent to which they enabled the country to grapple with the problem of housing the urban population, particularly the urban poor. The problem of housing the urban poor arose mainly as a result of a combination of several factors, including a rapid urbanisation rate, the setting of high building standards, the high cost of building materials, and high rents. The housing supply could not keep pace with the rapid growth of the urban population and so led to congestion and overcrowding, particularly of the urban poor, in the residential areas. Throughout the colonial period and into the early period of independence, the government participated only marginally in housing provision. The National Housing Policy provides for the federal government's direct construction of housing on a large scale in order to help increase the supply of housing.

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