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Appraisal of Key Factors Affecting Private Home-Ownership in Enugu Urban
Jiburum Uloma
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus
[email protected]
Article Info
Article history:
Received Jan 23 2011
Accepted April 14 2011
Available online
Sept. 30, 2011
Key Words:
housing delivery,
private home
owner, housing
shortage
ABSTRACT
Housing shortage is acute in urban areas in Nigeria. The gap appears to
be increasing with many households living in shanties, under bridges
and in uncompleted buildings.
The purpose of this study which
focuses on Enugu urban is to isolate factors which are responsible for
this slow rate of housing delivery by private home developers in Enugu
in order of importance. This was achieved using a field survey
approach. The main factors identified are lack of access to finance, lack
of access to land and high construction costs. Others are availability of
infrastructure, cost of building materials, housing conversion and
difficulty in obtaining construction permit. It is envisioned that if
mortgage loans are made available to private home developers, with
reduced stress in land acquisition, residential housing delivery will be
faster in the urban area.
@ 2011 cepajournal
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Jiburum U./Journal of Environmental Management and Safety Vol. 2 No. 3, September (2011) 96 – 107
Introduction
have reported about housing problems
Shortage of residential housing stock both
and have given varying estimates of
in number and quality abound in virtually
homelessness. They assert that more than
all countries, but the problem is more
50 percent of Nigerians are without
pronounced in developing countries. The
shelter (Gyuse, 1976; Sule, 1982 and
shortage is more acute in urban centres
Wahab, 2002).
than in rural areas. Housing shortage has
declaration of housing for all by the year
resulted
2000 was to encourage various World
in
homelessness
and
development of slums in many cities.
Governments
The cause of housing shortage in many
nations)
developing
nations
Ademiluyi
and
(especially
to
create
developing
an
enabling
observed
by
environment for production of enough
(1977)
is
shelter in their countries. In spite of this
inadequate supply relative to demand.
resolution, no developing country has
This
been able to solve the problem of housing
has
led
as
The United Nations
Solanke
to
people
living
in
uncompleted houses, under bridges, and
shortage in its cities (Wahab, 2002)
in shanties.
Over
Many of such residents
the
years,
individuals
and
require shelter and are willing to pay but
government have suggested the number of
cannot find affordable shelter.
High
housing units required in Nigeria to
residential
overcome housing shortage (Asunmo and
accommodations drives rents out of the
Iyagba, 1997 and Mabogunje, 2000). In
reach of low income earners in the city.
proffering solutions to the problem,
Omijini (2000) reported that in some
Onibukun
major cities in Nigeria, people who sleep
39,989,286; 33, 573,900; 28,548,633
outside houses are more than those who
housing units will be required for high,
sleep inside. Housing experts in Nigeria
medium
demand
for
few
(1990)
and
low
suggested
income
that
groups
98
Jiburum U./Journal of Environmental Management and Safety Vol. 2 No. 3, September (2011) 96 – 107
respectively in Nigeria by 2020 to
The provision of housing by the private
drastically reduce residential housing
sector has not been without some
shortage. To achieve this task, all hands
problems.
must be on deck.
documented as affecting housing delivery
In affirming this
Some factors have been
opinion Okupe (2000) and Olatubara
in different parts of the country.
(2007) opined that the most spontaneous
magnitude to which each factor affects
response
immediate
private sector delivery varies from place
quantitative urban housing problem is
to place. These factors are presented here
offered by the private sector.
not in order of significance. Though
to
solving
the
This is
because government efforts at housing
Windapo
delivery over the years have achieved
advanced finance as a major impediment
little success.
to housing delivery in Nigeria.
In recognition of the
(2002)
and
Nubi
The
(2002)
Earlier
private sector potentials, government
on, the UN (1976) blamed poor housing
recommended that since the formal and
delivery on
informal
institutional arrangements for finance.
private
sectors
are
major
low
income
and
poor
providers of over 90 percent of all
Agbola
(1986) saw subsidies, cost of
housing stock in both urban and rural
recovery,
communities in Nigeria, the sector should
affordability and replicability as the major
be effectively mobilized and encouraged
obstacles in housing finance in Nigeria.
to take more active part in housing
Cost of building materials is a major
delivery in the country (FGN, 2006).
factor as advanced by Udegbe (2005). In
Enugu, the capital of Enugu State, is
affirming this view, Olusanya (2001)
experiencing housing shortage and the
explained that individualistic approach to
need for more houses is observable.
housing delivery will not solve the
Literature Review
problem of housing shortage in our urban
finance
mechanism
and
99
Jiburum U./Journal of Environmental Management and Safety Vol. 2 No. 3, September (2011) 96 – 107
centres as cost of housing itself must be
problem
brought within the means of a significant
(1990).
segment of the working population.
Other factors which have been blamed for
Nwachukwu and Ukpabi (2009) reckon
low housing delivery by the private sector
that
another
are low rent, urbanization, government
factor hampering effective
policy and labour productivity. From the
housing
important
housing
conversion
delivery.
is
advanced
by Onibukun
use
literature discussed, it is obvious that
as
many factors are responsible for low
commercial, institutional and industrial.
housing delivery by the private sector in
Most often, residential use lose out. This
our urban centres.
is because other uses attract higher rents.
Enugu is a fast growing capital city in
Non-availability
infrastructural
Nigeria and it is experiencing acute
facilities such as road, water, electricity
housing shortage due to low housing
etc. has also been blamed for poor
delivery. This study therefore seeks to
housing delivery (Ngwuluka, 1997). The
determine the factors that are responsible
difficulties
land
for the low housing delivery in Enugu in
acquisition were blamed for housing
order of importance. This is with a view
shortage by Ezenagu (2000). The review
to understanding and recommending ways
of the Land Use Act of 1978 has been
of reducing the effects of these factors in
suggested as a way of overcoming this
housing delivery in Enugu urban.
problem.
Methods
competes
with
Residential
as
other uses
of
associated
such
with
Scholars have also attributed
low housing delivery to poor technology
Enugu is located at the foot of Udi
and construction permit.
escarpment and it covers a land area of
Primitive
technology used in housing construction
about 72.8 square kilometers.
and building of substandard housing is the
National
Population
Commission
The
of
100
Jiburum U./Journal of Environmental Management and Safety Vol. 2 No. 3, September (2011) 96 – 107
Nigeria put the population of Enugu at
density areas are dominated by single
722,664 (NPC, 2006). As at present, the
family mainsonette.
population of Enugu is nearly one million
Two neighbourhoods, (Ogui and Ogbete)
due to rapid influx of people to the city.
were randomly selected from the high
In order to
factors
density stratum, New Haven from the
for or affecting low
medium and GRA from the low density.
responsible
investigate the
residential housing delivery by residents
The
in Enugu urban, a sample of 400
randomly
from
the
household heads (.0.33%) were selected
Buildings
that
were
from 4 neighbourhoods in Enugu.
selected using systematic sampling.
The
sampled
streets
were
selected
neighbourhoods.
sampled
were
In
study employed survey research method.
buildings with more than one household,
At the time of survey, the total number of
a household was randomly selected from
residential buildings in Enugu was not
it.
available. The 24 neighbourhoods in
questionnaires
Enugu urban were stratified into 3 using
neighbourhood .
density (low, medium and high). Density
A questionnaire titled “Factors Affecting
also represents socio-economic status of
Housing Delivery” was distributed to
respondents as different housing types are
selected households between August and
associated with different densities. In the
September, 2009. Each household head
high density area, the dominant housing
was asked to respond to a questionnaire
types are tenement buildings and blocks
of 20 questions.
of flat. In the medium density, blocks of
divided into three sections.
flat, bungalow and semi-detached duplex
section sought to collect information on
are the dominant building types. The low
the respondent’s socio-economic status;
Table
while
the
1
shows
number
distributed
in
of
each
The questionnaire was
second
section
The first
was
on
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Jiburum U./Journal of Environmental Management and Safety Vol. 2 No. 3, September (2011) 96 – 107
respondents housing type, age, tenure etc.
densities on factors that influence private
The third section was on factors that
housing development.
influence
Results and Discussion
housing
construction.
Descriptive statistical techniques like
Out of the 400 questionnaires distributed
tables of frequency, count and percentage
in the selected neighbourhoods, 379
were used in the analysis of data.
questionnaires were returned. Out of this,
Analysis of variance was also used to
368(87%) were properly filled and used
determine whether there is a significant
for
the
analysis.
(See
table
I).
difference in the response among the
Table I Questionnaire Collation
Neighbourhood
Distribution
Ogui
135
Ogbete
108
New Haven
77
GRA
80
Total
400
Source: Field Survey, 2009
Properly filled and returned
127
104
66
71
368
Percentage
34.5
28.3
18
19.2
100
The respondents comprised 291(79.1%)
respondents,
males
105(28.5%) , 51 to 60 years 73 (19.8%)
and
77(20%)
females.
The
40
breakdown of their age brackets show that
while
41
26(7.1%).( See table II).
to
50
years
had
124(33.79%)
Table II: Age of Respondents
Neighbourhood Below 40yrs
Ogui
50
Ogbete
47
New Haven
35
GRA
13
41 – 50yrs
53
27
23
21
those
below
51 – 60yrs
21
16
10
26
above
60
Above 60yrs
3
4
8
11
years
years
Total
127
104
66
71
were
were
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Jiburum U./Journal of Environmental Management and Safety Vol. 2 No. 3, September (2011) 96 – 107
Total
145 (39%)
Source: Field Survey, 2009
124(33.7%) 73(19.8%) 26(7.1%)
368
The occupational structure of respondents
respondents were presently unemployed
indicated that only 4 (1%) of the
as shown in Table III.
Table III: Respondents Occupation
Neighbourhood Private
public
sector
sector
Employed employed
Ogui
86
14
Ogbete
69
20
%
67.1
14.1
New Haven
18
29
%
27.3
44
GRA
27
15
%
38
21.1
Total (%)
200(54.3) 78(21.2)
Source: Field Survey, 2009
Self
Retirees
employed
Presently
Total
unemployed
22
11
14.3
16
24.2
20
28.2
89(18.8)
3
1
1.7
0
0
0
0
4(1.1)
2
3
2.2
3
4.5
0
12.7
17(4.6)
127
104
100
66
100
71
100
368
The dominant household size was 3 to 6
housing tenure revealed that 33% of the
persons with 184(48.5) households while
respondents in the high density area are
less than 3, 7 to 10 and above 10 persons
owner occupiers, while in the medium
had 46(12.1%), 88(24%) and 48(12.7%)
and low densities, the figures are 32% and
household respectively. Data collected on
52%
Table IV: Respondents housing tenure
Neighbourhood
Owner occupier
Tenant
respectively
(See
Table
IV).
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Jiburum U./Journal of Environmental Management and Safety Vol. 2 No. 3, September (2011) 96 – 107
Ogui
43
Ogbete
35
%
33.8
New Haven
21
%
31.8
GRA
37
%
52.1
Total (%)
136(37)
Source: Field Survey, 2009
It was found out that in the high density
84
69
66.2
45
68.2
34
47.9
232(63)
Conversion of residential buildings into
areas, most of the owner occupiers were
other
by inheritance as the buildings were
buildings available for accommodation.
developed by parents or relatives. The
Discussion
average for owner occupier tenure for the
The factors responsible for low housing
study area is 37%.
This is low when
delivery in the study area were assessed
compared to developed countries. In the
under three categories according to their
US, home-ownership is at present nearly
importance.
66% of all households. Owner-occupation
(above 70%), important (40% to 69%)
is dominant in England and France, while
and less-important (39 and below). The
in Germany and Netherland, private rental
survey revealed that lack of access to
housing
are
finance, lack of access to land and high
roughly the same size (Clark, et al, 1997).
cost of construction are very important
Housing
more
factors. Okpala and Onibukun (1986)
density
recognized finance as a major factor but
Survey showed that
ranked land and building materials higher.
34% of the residential buildings in the
Availability of infrastructure, cost of
study area have mixed use while 66% are
building materials, housing conversion
used purely for residential purpose.
and obtaining construction permit are
and
pronounced
owner-occupation
conversion
in
neighbourhoods.
the
was
high
uses
reduces
the
number
of
They are highly important
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Jiburum U./Journal of Environmental Management and Safety Vol. 2 No. 3, September (2011) 96 – 107
seen as important factors. This finding
government
policy,
agrees with Nubi (2002) who identified
technology.
Analysis revealed that
land, building materials and labour as
construction permit, government policy
major obstacles to housing delivery.
and rate of urbanization are important
Factors which are seen as not being of
factors for residents of low and medium
much
densities but not important to residents of
hindrance
to
private
home
ownership are low rent, urbanization,
labour
and
high density (see Table V)
Table V: Respondents’ assessment of factors responsible for low housing delivery
Factors
Low
Medium
High density Average
density density
High construction
74.4
73.3
70.2
72.65
Low rent
34.8
37.4
32.8
34.96
Urbanization
41.05
40
34.3
38.45
Government policy
40
42.5
35.86
39
Lack of access to finance
83.21
80.14
85
82.78
Infrastructural facilities
59.39
62.89
57.63
59.97
Cost of building materials 63.11
60
59.66
60.92
Labour
38.21
32.3
31.2
33.9
Technology
34.73
34.73
31.2
33.55
Housing conversion
63.11
60
59.66
60.92
Access to land
75.93
77.7
83.53
79.05
Construction permit
45
39,59
35.17
39.92
Source: Field Survey, 2009
Despite
these
differences,
analysis
occupier for high, medium and low
showed that there is no significant
income earners in Enugu.
Access to
difference in the response of residents
mortgage loans by all will help in
among the different densities.
providing finance for residential house
The study revealed that access to finance
development.
is a major obstacle to being owner-
targeted at low income earners will help
Improved access to land
105
Jiburum U./Journal of Environmental Management and Safety Vol. 2 No. 3, September (2011) 96 – 107
in reducing housing shortage. The low
and use of cheaper
income earners can then be encouraged to
materials will help to overcome the
use local materials such as laterite,
problem in the near future.
stabilized earth, burnt clay, bricks and
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