Evaluating Users’ Household-Size and Housing Quality in Osogbo, Nigeria

The non-consideration of relevant socio–cultural parameters by Agencies responsible for housing provision has been identified as one of the major reasons for the housing inadequacies and poor quality in most developing countries - Nigeria inclusive. Significantly, this phenomenon has produced housing misuses, wastage of scarce resources and the creation of an apathetic citizenry. Premised on the foregoing, this paper examines the effect of users’ household-size – a socio-cultural parameter, in the determination of qualitative housing in Osogbo, Nigeria. Information on housing quality and households’ characteristics was provided by heads of households from 406 housing units, in three residential zones of Osogbo. Data analysis was by descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA).The result showed that the Yoruba ethnic group constitutes the majority (97.5% of the households), over other ethnic groups (Hausa, Igbo etc), while 70.9% of the households in the study area had an average household-size of six (6) or more persons. From the ANOVA test result (F=10.76; P=0.000), the study revealed a significant relationship between household-size and housing quality in Osogbo. The study further showed that the quality of housing in the city’s core area is poor compared with other residential areas in the town.The need to consider users’ household-size, among other relevant socio-cultural parameters in the design and development of qualitative housing in Nigeria is emphasized.Keywords: Housing quality; household-size; socio-cultural parameters; Osogbo; Nigeria

Evaluating tenants’ satisfaction with public housing in Lagos, Nigeria

This paper examines tenants’ satisfaction with public housing in Lagos, Nigeria. This was accomplished by assessing the levels of housing satisfaction of the general population and the degrees of satisfaction of tenants living in selected public housing estates within Lagos metropolis. Three (3) major housing components – environment (E), dwelling (D), and management (M), were identified and employed for this study. Six (6), representing 10% of estates, were randomly selected from forty (40) public housing estates in Lagos. Subsequently, questionnaires were administered to 1.022 (10%), of households from the total of 12.323 households in the selected estates of the study area. The data obtained from the survey were analyzed in two stages. First, is the use of descriptive analysis such as frequency tabulation to assess the general levels of tenants’ housing satisfaction, and second, is the use of Satisfaction Indices (RSI) to determine the degree of tenants’ satisfaction with each of the housing components identified for the study. The results of the analysis indicate that the level of tenants’ housing satisfaction varies and is dependent on the environment, dwelling and management interaction systems. It demonstrated that the level of tenants’ satisfaction with the housing environment and dwellings was above average (adequately satisfactory), but their level of satisfaction with the housing management was below average (unsatisfactory). The study shows that users’ inputs and preferences should be strongly considered by planners and public housing agencies when planning and designing public housing projects. Santrauka Straipsnyje nagrinėjamas ir vertinamas Nigerijos miesto Lagos gyventojų pasitenkinimas municipalinio fondo būstais. Autoriaus tyrimas atskleidė, kad pats būstų ir jų aplinkos įvertinimas yra vidutinio lygmens, jų priežiūros ir tvarkymo lygis yra žemesnis. Nustatyta, kad gyventojų pasitenkinimą lemia ir socialinė bei ekonominė, kultūrinė ir fizinė gerovė. Autorius yra įsitikinęs, kad jo tyrimo išvados ir rekomendacijos bus vertingos būstų statybos ir priežiūros įstaigoms, planuotojams ir architektams, formuluojant naujus ateities būstų projektavimo ir priežiūros reikalavimus. First Published Online: 22 May 2013 Reikšminiai žodžiai: komunalinis būstas, Lagosas, Nigerija, urbanistinė plėtra, respondentai, gyventojai, federalinė ir municipalinė valdžia

Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for achieving sustainable social housing (SSH)

The overarching objective of social housing is to meet housing needs, particularly those of the vulnerable households – low and middle income earners. However, there is evidence to show that social housing is not adequately supported to achieve sustainable goals despite its significance for addressing the housing crisis. The aim of this study is to determine the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for achieving Sustainable Social Housing (SSH) from economic, environmental and social perspectives for meeting housing needs. The document content analysis approach involving relevant literature resources was used for generating the success factors (SFs) for achieving SSH. Findings from this approach were refined before using them in preparing a questionnaire used to gather data from housing authorities (public) and private non-profit social housing organisations in England and they were asked to rank the criticality level of the identified success factors. The data gathered through the relevant documents and respondents were analysed respectively with NVivo and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Findings revealed some of the CSFs for achieving SSH for meeting housing needs as: adequate funding and provision, affordability, efficient economic planning, appropriate construction technology, environmental protection, use of environmental friendly materials, effective land use planning, appropriate design, security of lives and property, provision of social services and ensuring social cohesion. The paper recommends the use of efficient sustainable development (SD) strategies and legal and institutional frameworks for monitoring and evaluating the delivery of SSH. The Government must embark on effective housing programmes for ensuring adequate provision of social housing that is sustainable for meeting housing needs in the short and long-run. There is need for the Government to regularly provide financial supports to social housing providers and users for addressing the housing crisis

Significance of house-type as a determinant of residential quality in Osogbo, Southwest Nigeria

This study investigates the effect of house-types on the assessment of residential quality in Osogbo, Nigeria. Through a questionnaire survey, this study employs a stratified systematic sampling method to select 406 (10%) households from three (3) major residential districts of Osogbo. Data are analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The study showed that 80% and 14.8% of the respondents live in contemporary vernacular houses, that is, the “face-me-i-face-you” house, and western apartment houses, respectively. Meanwhile 2.5%, 1.5%, and 1.2% of the respondents live in duplexes, single family houses, and traditional courtyard dwellings, respectively. This result suggests that in Osogbo, the Yoruba traditional courtyard house-type is gradually being replaced by the contemporary vernacular house and the western apartment house-type. Confirming the linear relationship and level of significance among the variables, the ANOVA Test F -value is 2.17 (where

Post-occupancy evaluation of residential satisfaction in Lagos, Nigeria: Feedback for residential improvement

This study is a post-occupancy evaluation of residential satisfaction in Oniru Estate, Lagos, Nigeria. It conceived residents’ satisfaction as a measure of people’s attitudes towards certain aspects of their residential environment. The very important role of certain physical quality or characteristics of the environment as a dominant predictor of satisfaction is emphasized. Apart from the measurement of residential satisfaction through post-occupancy evaluation, it also utilized respondents’ satisfaction scores as indices for evaluating the performance of residential development in the study area. Analysis was done using Chi-square statistics (p =0.05 with a level of significance of 0.000) to confirm the relationship between the quality of housing physical environment and level of residents’ satisfaction. The results show and confirm that the quality of certain physical characteristics in the housing environment is imperative thereby influencing the level of residents’ housing satisfaction. The need to consider relevant inputs emanating from the end-users or occupants of residential developments in the planning, design and development of satisfactory dwellings is highlighted

Ile lfe : a cultural phenomenon in the Throes of transformation

Every city has its own history which expresses an identity, a symbol and an image. The ancient city of Ile-Ife, in south-western Nigeria, presents several paradoxes. Till date, its significance vis-à-vis the totality of the culture of the Yoruba race, continues to conflict with many of the requirements of a modernizing city. The traditional city centre is atypical in its development as, rather than epitomizing urban city-centre rejuvenation, it has steadily ceded commercializing activities to another part of the town. Also, the recent internecine war between Ifes and neighbouring Modakekes has created environmental scarification, schisms in physical alignments and influenced aberrations in both the process and actual fabric of the city’s urbanization. Three main foci have been identified as virile urbanizing-activity zones: the city centre, the Sabo-Mayfair commercial spine and the Obafemi Awolowo University campus. These areas are critiqued in the light of their history, peculiarities and ‘re-sourcing’ potentials.Department of Culture, Delegation of the Flemish Government in South Africa, Embassy of Belgiumhttps://africanperspectivesconference.wordpress.com