North-East: Insecurity, dearth of credit responsible for housing deficit–NAN survey
North-East: Insecurity, dearth of credit responsible for housing deficit–NAN survey
The housing deficit in the North-east region is due to insecurity and lack of access to credit by low-income earners, a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey indicates.
A cross-section of stakeholders spoke in separate interviews with NAN in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno.
Mr Martins Gyado, the Federal Controller of Housing in charge of Adamawa, told NAN that the Federal Government had adopted a strategy to tackle the housing deficit in the state.
Gyado said that his office had commenced the allocation of 196 completed housing units out of 240 units built by the Federal Government to Nigerians, as part of efforts to reduce the country’s housing deficit.
According to him, the housing project is being executed in three phases; the first and second phases are located in Sengere, Yola Local Government Area(LGA), while the third phase is in Mubi LGA.
Alhaji Abdullahi Prambe, the Adamawa Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to addressing the housing shortfall.
Prambe said that the government had begun constructing 1,000 housing units out of the planned 2,000.
According to him, construction of the 1,000 houses within the state capital has reached 90 per cent completion, while the remaining 1,000 units will be built across various LGAs.
“The ongoing construction of 1,000 houses at Malkohi is almost complete.
“The road network has already been asphalted, while electrification and water supply contracts have been awarded,” he said.
Mr Adamu Audu, a civil servant, appealed to government at all levels to make housing more affordable and ensure a secure environment for Nigerians.
According to him, most government-constructed houses are located on the outskirts of the metropolis.
He said that given the insecurity challenges in the North-east, including kidnapping and armed robbery, many people would be reluctant to reside in such areas.
“For example, a three-bedroom flat costs about 16 million, a two-bedroom costs N14 million, and a one-bedroom goes for N9 million.
“This is completely out of reach for most Nigerians,” he added.
Dr Ahmed Tukur, a housing policy expert at Adamawa State University, Mubi, attributed the high vacancy rates in federal housing projects to bureaucratic delays in allocation and affordability challenges.
“There is a disconnection between the types of housing being developed and what the majority of the population can afford.
“Developers often target high-income earners, leaving a significant portion of the populace without viable options,” he said.
Tukur added that the high costs of construction materials and land acquisition continued to push rental and purchase prices beyond the reach of many Nigerians.
Mrs Fatima Abdullahi, spokesperson for the Adamawa Housing Rights Initiative, a civil society organisation, called for more inclusive housing policies to promote sustainability and affordability.
“The government must implement policies that encourage the development of affordable housing while providing incentives for developers to lower costs.’’
Abdullahi also advocated for the use of locally sourced, sustainable building materials such as recycled materials to help reduce construction expenses.
“Innovative financing models, such as lease-to-own schemes, should be explored to enhance affordability and accessibility,” she said.
Similarity, stakeholders in Yobe also advocated for public-private partnerships to address housing deficit in the state.
They called for increased public-private partnerships and government intervention to address the growing housing deficit in the country.
Mr Joseph Iku, a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), emphasised the need for an enabling environment to make land more affordable.
Iku, also a Director Public Buildings, Yobe Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, said that government should partner with private developers to acquire land and build more houses for the public.
“Private developers play a crucial role in easing the housing process,” he said.
He said many developed countries rely heavily on private sector involvement in housing development.
Iku suggested that a system where people could occupy houses and pay in installments would ease the burden and lower rental costs.
The director also highlighted the importance of facilitating access to loans with low interest rates for mortgages.
He urged the government to reduce the cost of building materials by reducing or eliminating taxes on them as they were critical to addressing the nation’s over 22 million housing deficit.
Malam Muhammed Muhammed, an executive member of a civil society organisation in the state, acknowledged the state government’s efforts in building housing units but raised concerns about the quality of the work.
He alleged that lack of proper inspection and supervision resulted in substandard construction.
He also pointed out issues with allocation, stating that houses should be prioritised for low-income earners rather than politicians and senior civil servants who often already own property.
Muhammed called on the government to give special consideration to low-income earners in housing allocations.
He added that civil society organisations would expand their advocacy to include housing issues, recognising the plight of residents in the state.
Alhaji Madu Babagana, a civil servant, attributed the failure of some federal and state housing projects to high interest rates and unfavourable payment terms.
He shared his experience of applying for a mortgage through a private developer, only to withdraw due to the high interest, which would have doubled the total cost of the house.
Babagana appealed to the government to create special provisions for low-income earners to access affordable housing through mortgages with low interest rates and flexible payment plans.
More so, stakeholders in Borno expressed concern over lack of housing in the state.
VMT NEWS reports that for years, estates such as Teachers Village, Bakassi Estate, Dalori 1, and Dalori 2 originally built for civil servants were repurposed to shelter over 700,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) fleeing Boko Haram insurgency.
However, after the Borno Government closed all official IDP camps in 2022 and many displaced people were relocated back to their respective LGAs.
Malam Aliyu Usman, a civil servant, said one of the estates was meant to be allocated to workers in Teachers Village.
He told NAN that the condition of the estates was alarming.
“When we visited the estate after the IDPs left; we found most of the houses in terrible condition– roofs were damaged, doors and windows were missing, and basic utilities were no longer functional.
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“The place is now almost unlivable without major renovations,” he said.
Similarly, Bakassi Estate, which once housed thousands of displaced persons, is now a shadow of its former self.
A visit to the area reveals homes with collapsed ceilings, broken plumbing, and walls stripped of wiring and fixtures.
According to Hajiya Hauwa Umar, a Maiduguri-based property consultant, most of these estates were never properly maintained after the IDPs left.
“When people live in houses temporarily without a sense of ownership, maintenance becomes an issue.’’
“The government should have set up a rehabilitation plan before relocating the IDPs, but that didn’t happen,” she said.
Despite the availability of these estates, their dilapidated state means most cannot be occupied without significant repairs.
Moreover, the demand for housing had surged, pushing rental prices to unprecedented levels.
Malam Umar Tijjani, a property agent in Maiduguri, described the situation as a landlord’s market, where rent prices had more than doubled due to housing shortages.
“A two-bedroom apartment in New GRA that used to cost N500,000 now goes for N1 million to N1.5 million.
“Even in areas like Bulumkutu and Damboa Road, rent has increased by over 100 per cent.
“There are simply not enough houses to meet the demand.
“This housing scarcity is partly driven by the influx of humanitarian workers and security personnel, who often pay higher rents upfront.
“As a result, landlords prefer leasing their homes to NGOs and expatriates, leaving civil servants and middle income earners struggling to find affordable housing,” he said.
According to Malam Babagana Garba, a landlord in Pompomari, economic realities have forced many landlords to prioritize tenants who can afford premium rates.
“Many landlords now rent to international NGOs, who pay in advance for two or three years; this has priced out ordinary residents.
“The estates in Teachers Village, Bakassi, and Dalori were constructed to house civil servants, but with waves of displacement over the years, they became emergency shelters for IDPs.
“While this decision was necessary for humanitarian reasons, it has deepened the housing crisis for public sector workers and other low-income residents of Maiduguri.
“For government workers who were meant to occupy these estates, the situation has been frustrating,” he said
Hauwa Musa, a schoolteacher, shared her experience of struggling to find alternative housing.
“I was supposed to get an allocation in Teachers Village, but when IDPs were moved in, I had no choice but to rent a house in Gwange; what I used to pay N300,000 for now costs N800,000 per year; it’s unbearable,” she said.
According to Malam Dalorima Tijjani, a property agent, rental prices in the city have more than doubled in the past five years.
“A two-bedroom apartment in New GRA that used to cost N500,000 now goes for N1 million to N1.5 million.
“Even in areas like Bulumkutu and Damboa Road, rents have jumped by 100 per cent to 150 per cent. The demand is too high.
“Many landlords now prefer to rent their properties to humanitarian organisations, which are willing to pay higher rates,” he said.
Malam Babagana Garba, a landlord in Pompomari, admitted that many homeowners now prioritise tenants who could pay in dollars or advance payments for multiple years.
“We don’t discriminate, but when someone offers to pay two years upfront, it’s difficult to say no,” he said.
According to Ibrahim Aliyu, an urban planning expert, the government must rethink its housing policies to make homes more accessible.
“There is no point in having unoccupied estates when people are struggling for housing.
“The government should introduce rent-to-own schemes and subsidised mortgages to make houses affordable,” he suggested.
Nonetheless, government officials say Gov. Babagana Zulum has prioritised housing development as part of his administration’s broader efforts to resettle IDPs and expand urban housing.
“500 Housing Estate in Njimtilo, inaugurated in December 2024; 1,000-Unit Housing Estate, covering 113 hectares, built through a public-private partnership, Metro Housing Estate, named after Vice President Kashim Shettima, designed for security personnel and senior government officials and Nguro-Soye Resettlement Project in Bama, where 500 houses were built for displaced communities.
“In addition, Zulum had announced an ambitious plan to construct 85,000 new houses in 66 communities to address the housing deficit and integrate IDPs into permanent homes.’’
On his part, Mustapha Gubio, the Borno Commissioner for Housing and Energy, said the goal was to reduce dependence on emergency shelters and create sustainable housing solutions.
“We are building communities, not just houses; each resettlement area will have schools, clinics, and police stations to support long-term development,” Gubio said.
Usman Zannah, a housing expert, also suggested several measures to improve housing accessibility in Borno.
He said that introducing of a flexible mortgage options to allow civil servants and middle class earners to buy homes and strengthening security in new estates would encourage people to move into unoccupied homes.
Zannah explained that roads, schools and healthcare facilities should be provided in newly built estates.
He added that Borno’s housing crisis was a complex issue rooted in conflict, displacement, and economic factors.
“While the government’s housing reconstruction drive under Zulum has made significant progress, the challenge remains ensuring accessibility and affordability.
“For now, residents of Maiduguri continue to struggle with soaring rent prices, and civil servants remain locked out of housing originally meant for them.
“As the state moves forward with its 85,000-home plan, ensuring that these houses are affordable, secured and well-equipped will be critical in solving the region’s long-standing housing deficit,” he said.
