Part of the terms of reference of the Multi-Agency Project Delivery Task Team inaugurated recently by the Minister of Housing, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, included development of a comprehensive strategy and roadmap for the construction of 50,000 new houses per year. Principal Partner, Ubosi Eleh and Co, Mr Chudi Ubosi, in this interview with DAYO AYEYEMI, is of the opinion that the Federal Government should create the enabling environment for the private sector to construct the houses.
Do you think 50,000 new houses per year by the federal government are possible?
I think no. It will be a difficult one. Not because it is impossible but because knowing where we are coming from in Nigeria and the politics and bureaucracy that accompanies these plans, it will be a wonder if they achieve 500 houses nationwide in a whole year.
Besides, we have always said and will repeat again, it’s not the business of government to build houses. The business of government is to provide the enabling environment for the private sector to see the need and encouragement to invest heavily in housing in consonance with the needs of the people.
What is needed to achieve the dream?
On what is needed to achieve this target, well the first question would be what is needed to provide 50,000 units of housing annually? Does the government have land already available? Where are they? Is the land serviced and infrastructured? Titled? If No, this is the first step and this takes time. Acquisition, payment of compensation, providing services etc. All these take time. Twelve months would be tough to accomplish this. Then of course what is the design? Type of houses? Low cost? Medium cost? Targeted at whom? Selection of contractors. Mobilisation of contractors. Supervision and management of construction works etc. Again, these are all stages towards achieving the targets. It would require a miracle for government in Nigeria as structured and currently undertaken to scale these hurdles in even 24 months.
What are the strategies that will make this happen, considering past failed efforts?
I think the main strategy that will make this possible is, first and foremost, the rationalisation of the objective. Separate reality from political rhetoric. Set achievable realistic goals in the light of the present-day realities of governance and all its shortcomings and challenges. There must be a serious review and determine what is really needed on the housing ladder – low or medium income. What would be the model – fully built or just shell leaving buyers to finish? There are so many models. Will the government provide mortgages? That would facilitate take-up rate as expensive as those may be. In the final analysis the model of construction, that is, traditional construction methods or the model where prototypes can be built using pre cast forms that will allow 100’s of structures to be done within short periods of time.
and then