Download
1 / 17
210 likes | 600 Views
Poverty is a major social problem especially in urban centers of Nigeria where over 65% of the people live in substandard housing. Experts have declared a 15 million housing deficit for Nigeria, majority of which are found in our urban communities and cities. Many Nigerians are living in environments and communities that have been regarded as slum as they lack basic infrastructures or are in total collapse. They are constrained to continue to live in such areas because they do not have the means of securing accommodation in better locations. To overcome the menace of homelessness, people must be made to understand and embrace the cooperative approach to solving their housing needs.
E N D
COOPERATIVE HOUSING IN NIGERIA: PRACTICAL APPROACH TO SUCCESS By NUBI TIMOTHY GBENGA (Ph. D)Presented at a Retreat organized by NNPC Cooperative on Saturday, 25th June 2011 at Eleko Beach, Lagos.
INTRODUCTION Poverty is a major social problem especially in urban centers of Nigeria where over 65% of the people live in substandard housing. Experts have declared a 15 million housing deficit for Nigeria, majority of which are found in our urban communities and cities. Many Nigerians are living in environments and communities that have been regarded as slum as they lack basic infrastructures or are in total collapse. They are constrained to continue to live in such areas because they do not have the means of securing accommodation in better locations. To overcome the menace of homelessness, people must be made to understand and embrace the cooperative approach to solving their housing needs.
FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT HOME OWNERSHIP • Individual Homeowners possess self reliance and security. • Homeowners are good investors which invariably promotes prosperity in the family. • It allows for stability and economic growth. • It increases children education output. • It is a panacea to poverty.
TYPES OF COOPERATIVE HOUSING There are basically three types of Housing Cooperative.a) Housing Cooperative Association (Management)b) Production Cooperative Association (Self Built)c) The Community Development Cooperative (slum upgrading)
PRINCIPLES OF HOUSING COOPERATIVE • Membership is voluntary and within certain limits to everyone. • Free entry and exit upon fulfillment of basic conditions. • Democratically managed and controlled. • Election of officers on a “one member, one vote” basis. • Equitable distribution of surpluses at the end of the financial year. • Low interest rate for members seeking to apply for loan. • Cooperative is managed by a board which is a composition of elected officers to manage the cooperative’s business on its behalf. • Cooperative societies make provision for its members children education and training of their employees in cooperative practices.
BENEFITS OF COOPERATIVE HOUSING • Social:*Free interaction among members and children *Choice on where to live with people of like minds, same social background etc.*Good management and better social network • Economic:*Reduction in unit cost of construction*Reduction in unit cost of maintenance of facilities and services (cost in use)*Flexible and convenient funding model. • Physical/Security:*Lives and properties are better secured in area where houses are built vide cooperative efforts.*Clean and serene environment because of “our own mindset.”*Participation of members in communal meetings and forum is guaranteed especially if there are mechanisms put in place.
EXISTING HOUSING COOPERATIVES IN NIGERIA • The Owolowo Union. • Happy People Co-operative Housing Project. • Kings College (KC) 1954-1957 Housing Project. • Exxon Mobil Cooperative. • Urban Housing Co-operative Badore Lagos.- The Most Successful With About 2000 Families.
COOPERATIVE VILLA BADORE, LAGOS • 2000 plus families • N140 million water project to be completed with credit facilities from Shelter Afrique. • Paved road with interlocking blocks. • Good drainage network. • Well landscaped environment. • First class security/ low level fencing.
OTHERS Most government parastatals like Nigeria Tele-communication Limited (NITEL), NEPA etc have housing cooperatives. Educational institutions like Universities and Polytechnics and Large companies like CAPL, Nigerite etc, have cooperatives. Many of these have acquired land for house building purpose several years ago but did not go beyond that stage.
USUAL PROBLEMS OFTEN FACED BY HOUSING COOPERATIVES IN NIGERIA The study of Cooperative Housing in Nigeria shows similarity in difficulties encountered that often militate against effective housing delivery. Among these are: • Land Accessibility • Finance/High cost of construction • Lack of professional coordination/sponsoring agency • Lack of necessary building skills among members. • Absence of enabling legislative for the formation and operation of Housing cooperatives. • Many Housing Cooperative societies are part of Cooperative societies set up for thrift and other purposes.
CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS OF ANY CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING. • Open Membership and continuity. • Safeguard against Abuse of the cooperative form. • National organizations and common services. • Government Assistance.
INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR HOUSING COOPERATIVE • A) Sponsoring Agency;Could either be a government institution, private/public enterprise, an NGO that is able to provide a broad range of skills. To ensure the following criteria:* Careful planning and thorough selection of members.* Good management and technical advise in project implementation.* Adequate education and training in the principles and practice of cooperation.* Efficient accounting system for the operation of the cooperative. • B) Professional/ Technical Advisory TeamThis is expected to constitute the architect and his associated building professionals. This team links the aspiration of the cooperative with the existing situation and fathom out a working schedule to actualizing the dream. • C) Cooperative Members.The physical, emotional, mental and financial contribution and commitment of cooperative members are needed in the community goals and assume share of responsibility.
HOW COOPERATIVE HOUSING WORKS • Initial Contact:This is to allow families that are coming together into Housing Cooperative to get to know one another. Relationship has to be created first before any other issues • Preliminary Study: It is necessary to ensure that the group develops a general awareness of its major needs, the resources it has available, and the best way to do it, and the approximate terms and cost of the solution be on the problem of housing, and ownership, and on the organizational models currently used by the group.
PROJECT EXECUTION After the initial contact and the preliminary study, The team would have been put in place. For emphasis, there must be professional team to manage the entire process- from land acquisition to design actual construction on site and post occupancy management. Lack of this is the bane of failure of past efforts.
CONCLUSION Great feat would be achieved when Cooperative organizations and especially their leaders see the need to house their members and work towards it. They must take into consideration the above mentioned factors. Homelessness in Nigeria can be drastically reduced when the concept of cooperative housing is adhered to.
