The Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN), which emphasizes that “every citizen should have a residence” and that “nobody should live on the streets,” has urged the government of Nigeria to take immediate action to alleviate the housing shortage.
Festus Adebayo, the Executive Director of HDAN, made this request in a news release.
Using a 2024 Habitat for Humanity projection of 1.53 billion people living in substandard housing worldwide, Adebayo emphasized the grave state of insufficient shelter worldwide.
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Startlingly, he claims that with 25 million homeless people, Nigeria leads the world, followed by India with 18 million.
“Nigeria’s housing policy is not being effectively implemented at all levels of government, Poverty and homelessness rates are increasing daily, and there are no real solutions in sight.”
He lamented the poor impact of some state governments in the area of housing of citizens, which he described as negligible, pointing out that government often forgets the most vulnerable who need access to low-income housing.”
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Adebayo noted that the housing crisis is a global issue, affecting Europe, Asia, Latin America, and North America, stressing however, that the effectiveness of government responses varies significantly.
“To emphasize the housing challenge, state governments often promise land in remote areas without the necessary infrastructure, leading to high costs for the end product,” he said.
He emphasized that Nigeria must make a critical decision regarding its citizens who cannot afford market rents.
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“Will it let them die on the streets, or will it use some of its wealth to ensure people can live with dignity, regardless of their poverty?” Adebayo asked.
He said Nigeria is wealthy enough to ensure that no citizen should live on the streets, calling on the government to study countries like Japan, Thailand, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, Slovenia, and Costa Rica, which have successful housing policies that could be replicated.
“The housing crisis requires urgent and effective action,” adding that “Every Nigerian deserves the dignity of a safe and secure home.”
