An Assessment of the Role of Government Agencies in Public-Private Partnerships in Housing Delivery in Nigeria

Nigeria faces a tremendous shortfall in housing provisions, especially in its urban areas. Consequently, Public-Private Partnership in housing provisions has been adopted as a means of addressing this problem. Several previous studies have focused on the role of government agencies in the governmentprovider approach to housing, but adequate attention has not been given to the role of government agencies in Public-Private Partnerships in housing. This paper attempts to fill this gap in literature by examining the role of government agencies in Public-Private Partnerships in housing. A study of thirteen government agencies in six selected Nigerian cities was undertaken. The findings indicate that though the agencies tended to focus on the provision of access to land and the regulatory framework for housing development, the majority of Nigerians have not benefited from this arrangement. The paper recommends that government agencies should also be involved in providing basic amenities and subsidies to ensure that Public-Private Partnership housing serves the interest of most Nigerians

Assessing Organizational Capacity in Housing Provision: a Survey of Public Housing Agencies in Ogun State, Nigeria

Organizational capacity is essential for effective implementation of policies and programmes. Consequently, assessment of organizational capacity helps organizations to identify their strength and weakness in order to make informed decisions about how best to address challenges they face. The goal of this study was to assess the status of organizational capacity of public housing agencies in housing provision in Ogun State Southwest Nigeria. It was motivated by a gap in literature on the specific areas that contribute most to organizational capacity of public agencies in housing provision in Nigeria. Using questionnaire as the principal data collection instrument, primary data were collected from randomly selected 90 staff members involved in the design, planning, implementation and management of public housing projects in four public housing agencies in the study area. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and the result showed that most respondents felt that the overall organizational capacity of the agencies in housing provision was adequate. Management capacity was found to be slightly higher than resource capacity with the agencies having most strength in leadership style and weakness in the methods of administration of funds for housing projects. Substantial need and capacity building was found in critical areas such as funding, staff motivation and methods of dispensing of funds for housing projects. The paper suggests that partnerships with private sector organizations, robust staff well-fare schemes and re-training of staff can enhance organizational capacity of public agencies in public housing provision in Nigeria and other developing countries

Evaluation of Public Housing Programmes in Nigeria: A Theoretical and Conceptual Approach

The aim of this paper is to develop and test a theoretical and conceptual framework for an alternative approach to evaluation of public housing programmes in Nigeria. It seeks to address limitations of existing approaches where one theory or discipline has the upper hand in evaluating public housing programmes. This paper proposes a broad-based framework for assessing relationships between input, output and outcomes of public housing programmes through a realistic approach to evaluation based on objective-oriented theory, theory-driven evaluation paradigm and conceptual issues. This approach allows for the use of logical framework to explain the complex connections between underlying programme theory and outcomes. The distinct features of this alternative evaluation approach include: an open-ended evaluation approach; housing providers and residents participation; broad-based and a multi-faceted data gathering approaches and analysis in distinguishing the outcome of different housing delivery strategies in public housing programmes

Assessing Organizational Capacity in Housing Provision: a Survey of Public Housing Agencies in Ogun State, Nigeria

Organizational capacity is essential for effective implementation of policies and programmes. Consequently, assessment of organizational capacity helps organizations to identify their strength and weakness in order to make informed decisions about how best to address challenges they face. The goal of this study was to assess the status of organizational capacity of public housing agencies in housing provision in Ogun State Southwest Nigeria. It was motivated by a gap in literature on the specific areas that contribute most to organizational capacity of public agencies in housing provision in Nigeria. Using questionnaire as the principal data collection instrument, primary data were collected from randomly selected 90 staff members involved in the design, planning, implementation and management of public housing projects in four public housing agencies in the study area. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and the result showed that most respondents felt that the overall organizational capacity of the agencies in housing provision was adequate. Management capacity was found to be slightly higher than resource capacity with the agencies having most strength in leadership style and weakness in the methods of administration of funds for housing projects. Substantial need and capacity building was found in critical areas such as funding, staff motivation and methods of dispensing of funds for housing projects. The paper suggests that partnerships with private sector organizations, robust staff well-fare schemes and re-training of staff can enhance organizational capacity of public agencies in public housing provision in Nigeria and other developing countries

Securing urban land for housing among low‐income earners in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Case study of workers’ co‐operative society, Enugu, Nigeria

Co‐operative societies across the world have age‐old tradition of assisting members gain easy access to vital resources and services through collective efforts. This paper explores the strategies adopted by public sector workers’ co‐operative society in securing urban land for housing development. This study is motivated by dearth of empirical studies on strategies used by low‐ and middle –income earners in overcoming myriad challenges militating against access to urban land and housing in Nigerian cities. We used a qualitative research method to carry out an empirical investigation through one‐on‐one interviews with purposively selected members of Land Acquisition Committee (LAC) of the NEPA District Co‐operative Thrift and Saving Loan Association Enugu, Nigeria. Findings show that a mixture of customary,informal and formal practices involved in securing land from indigenous landowners was principally aimed at ensuring customary and statutory legitimacy as well as secured tenure. The paper concludes that co‐operative approach has great potentials in addressing problems of multiple payments for land, “indigenous land owners’ factor” and high cost of urban land in Nigeria, and therefore, should be encouraged and promoted among disadvantaged urban residents in developing countries

Challenges of Disaster Vulnerability Reduction in Lagos Megacity Area, Nigeria

Purpose – The aim of this research is to identify the factors responsible for the inability of authorities in rapidly growing megacities in developing countries to integrate disaster risk vulnerability reduction strategies effectively with their development plans. Design/methodology/approach – The study followed a qualitative research strategy. A survey research approach with pre-tested questionnaires as key data collection instrument was used in eliciting responses from 135 randomly selected built environment professionals in academics and disaster management practitioners in government and non-governmental organizations in Lagos Megacity Area, Nigeria. Findings – A number of factors militating against the adoption of effective disaster vulnerability reduction strategies in the area were identified. The most critical were faltering institutions and governance, weak infrastructure base and a low level of disaster education. Research limitations/implications – The sample population comprised mainly built environment professionals in academics and disaster managers across the city. Therefore, the views presented in the paper may not be considered generalizable within the context of multiplicity of stakeholders in disaster studies. However, the research presents the perception of experts and key stakeholders in disaster vulnerability reduction in the study area. Practical implications – The findings can form the basis for addressing these challenges, most particularly in generating and adopting new approaches to policy formulation and implementation by the public and private sectors. Originality/value – Research on this subject-matter is very limited in Nigeria. It is, however, very relevant in efforts at addressing the challenges of sustainable development in developing countries from the human and policy dimensions

Community-Led Infrastructure Provision in Low-Income Urban Communities in Developing Countries: A Study on Ohafia, Nigeria

The changing role of government in infrastructure provision and the need for community-based approach are widely gaining increasing recognition, but the extent to which local communities are involved in urban infrastructure provision in developing countries has not been given adequate attention in the literature. This study examines how community-based organizations are filling the gap created by partial withdrawal of the state from urban infrastructure provision in six low-income urban communities in Ohafia, Nigeria. Drawing on the role of social capital in community development, this paper reported how, and in what context situations the organizations are addressing the infrastructure challenge in their communities. Relying on the data from a survey, the study identified six organizations and three funding arrangements in urban infrastructure provision in the communities. Using this case-study, this study attempted to identify how the mobilization of resources in project initiation, design, implementation and funding influenced the type of infrastructure projects. The findings have conceptual and policy implications for understanding the socio-economic and political dynamics in harnessing local resources and integrating community-based approaches into urban development process in developing countrie

URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Nigerian cities are witnessing high rate of environmental deterioration and are rated among urban areas with the lowest livability index in the world. It is estimated that between 20 percent and 30 percent of the urban population enjoy decent urban life in the country. Although studies have identified various environmental problems in Nigeria, little attention has been given to their implications for sustainable development in literature. This paper therefore examined the causes and implications of increasing environmental deterioration for sustainable development in the country. Relying on archival records and observations, this paper identified colonial antecedents of Nigerian cities, rapid urbanization and poor psychological orientation of residents as being responsible for the current situation. The paper highlighted the three –fold effects on the human health, the economy and ecological system and suggested that the application of planning, economic, legal, institutional as well as educational tools will address the situation

Developing an enabling environment to maximise e-procurement adoption in the South African construction industry

The aim of this paper was to explore how the current environment of electronic procurement in South African construction industry can be improved to help in maximizing the diffusion and adoption of electronic procurement when it comes to the acquisition of construction works and services. Electronic procurement refers to the use of electronic communication systems and applications to buy services, goods and works or conduct tendering for construction works. While there is growing evidence of application and benefits of e-procurement in some countries, the use of e-procurement in South Africa has been limited and patchy, implying that the benefits are currently not being maximised to support economic growth and industry development. We explore some of the ways in which this problem can be addressed. The paper is organised into four parts. In the first part, we discuss general factors that enable e-procurement adoption based on evidence reported in the literature. These are the regulatory framework and policies guiding procurement; ICT infrastructure; and technology uptake by people. Second, a discussion of the three factors within the context of South Africa is presented. Third, an online survey was conducted in which 23 respondents gave an indication of the extent of their awareness and adoption of e-procurement in the South African construction industry. While 70% of respondents were aware of electronic procurement, only 33% of them had actually used e-procurement. Fourth, we conclude by discussing some of the ways in which the use of e-procurement can be diffused and maximized in the procurement of construction work in South Africa. Of the three main enablers of e-procurement, two are found to be quite sufficient i.e. the country’s market and regulatory framework in supporting ICT uptake; and there is also a good ICT infrastructure environment. The main area of concern relates to technology uptake by people in the construction industry. This requires major cultural and organisational changes that can be brought about by targeted initiatives championed by, for example, CIDB, CBE and major procurers; investment in technology by firms; and clear roadmap for transitioning to e-procurement in appropriate areas of construction procurement