FG must prioritise housing during COVID-19, recession

Moses Emorinken, Abuja

The Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) has called on the Federal Government to prioritise the delivery of affordable housing to Nigerians, especially at a time when the country has slipped into a second economic recession.

It further stated that housing will bolster the government’s efforts to curtail the ravaging covid-19 pandemic, because until the populace have adequate shelter with requisite infrastructure amongst which is water to wash their hands, they will constantly flout the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s (NCDC’s) safety protocols and measures.

According to a statement by the Association, the President of REDAN, Dr. Aliyu Wamakko, made this known in Lagos at the second Jakande Housing Lecture Series (JHLS).

He said, “Though certain efforts have been made by past and present governments and stakeholders in the housing sub-sector towards provision of affordable housing delivery in Nigeria, not much success has been recorded especially as the housing deficit keeps increasing by the year. This year’s theme: ‘still on affordable and decent housing in Nigeria’ is therefore very apt as we attempt to examine in a holistic manner where we got it wrong and what changes are needed in order to flatten the curve.

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“We are all aware that the covid-19 pandemic brought its own challenges on the housing sub-sector as some of the most important initial protocols were to ‘stay at home and wash hands regularly’. The question remained – was it feasible to adhere to such protocols when the populace have no adequate shelter with requisite infrastructure amongst which is water to wash hands?

“Government policies at all levels need to be re-defined. While we commend the Federal Government’s plan to build 300,000 housing units under the Economic Sustainability Programme, such policy formulation deserves comprehensive analysis.

“As the populous country in the African continent, the time to stem housing deficit is now, if we have to get it right. It is no longer news that Nigeria has once again entered its second recession in five years occasioned by economic fallout of the covid-19 pandemic amongst other things.”

Wamakko added: “In the considered opinion of REDAN, Government should concentrate her energy in stimulating the Nigerian economy via massive housing construction in order to boost the economy that has once more gone into recession.

“Housing development does not require incubation period, what is needed is strategic and holistic planning. Government is therefore called upon to support REDAN’s Rural-Urban Housing Initiative (RUHI-774) which is aimed at developing at least 100 housing units in each of the 774 Local Government Councils of the Federation including the FCT, where feasible and viable. The RUHI-774 Project is geared towards producing 100 percent Nigerian house to promote Local Content Development.”