Nigeria Housing Scenarios: Lessons to Learn from Wales as an Alternative Approach

Abstract

Over 40% of Nigerians, out of the country's present population of over 20 million, would reside in urban areas by 2030, according to United Nations demographic experts. Given that 20% of urban residents already live in substandard circumstances and that there is a housing shortfall of over 17 million units in what has grown to be one of the world's greatest low-income housing markets, this is a cause for concern. Many people around the world lack access to decent housing, but the problem seems to be most acute in developing nations like Nigeria. Additionally, there are not many residences available to the growing number of workers in both the formal and informal sectors, particularly in urban areas. In spite of the fact that the effective demand from the vast majority of the population has not changed appreciably, the report notes that housing demand in Nigeria, particularly in urban areas, has continued to climb dramatically. This study finds that all the factors influencing housing supply have reduced the quality of housing in the nation. The results showed a number of concerns with housing shortages based on the pattern mentioned in the literature. It looks at the methods employed to provide housing in Wales, in the United Kingdom (UK), and the strategies used to achieve this, and makes links to the situation in Nigeria in order to strengthen the country's housing institutions, restructure the systems, and create a more robust housing sector so that a balance between urban and rural housing units may be achieved.