NITP tasks LASG on policies to guarantee affordable housing in Lagos

The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Lagos State Chapter, has called on the Lagos State Government to come up with robust policies and programmes that would address the mounting problems in the planning and management of the towns and cities, to guarantee access to decent and affordable housing in the state.

The Chairman of NITP, Mr Tayo Awomosu, made the call at a press conference to mark the Institute’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos.

Awomosu said the high and raising costs  of land and building materials; which have been compounded by the persistent economic hardship in the country called for concern.

According to him, a major phenomenon in the state is the housing crisis being experienced in the form of shortage of housing, unduly high rents and consequently, raising homelessness.

He emphasised the need for the government to put in place policies that would make access to land and landed property easy such that everyone can have access to a decent home.

“The state of human settlements in Lagos State and the larger Nigeria remains parlous and therefore a source of concern to NITP Lagos State Chapter. We observe the mounting problems in the planning and management of our towns and cities. We also observe the fact that the will to handle these problems is not sufficiently demonstrated.

“We are of the opinion that the government should come up with more robust policies and programmes to tackle the problems.

” We also recommend that the State Government should consider  the option of direct housing construction for the low income bracket of the population, this will significantly increase the available housing stock and relieve pressure on the housing market,” Awomosu said.

Awomosu, therefore, urged the state government to implement the existing Operative Development Plans in the state, saying that these Master Plans and Model City plans generally contain proposals that will power the orderly physical development of the state.

According to him, for effective physical development, it is essential that all communities should be covered by local plans.

On the ongoing food crisis across the nation, Awomosu decried that it was more acute in Lagos State given its huge population of the poor and new immigrants.

“We observe that the State Government has put in place some policies to ameliorate the situation. We particularly commend the food discount market of the State Government and call for it to become a long-term programme given its ability to address the immediate needs of the population without disrupting the food distribution chain.

“We also call on the State Government to put in place medium and long-term policies to address the food crisis in the state. The government should revisit the State Regional Plan and promote urban farming so that the State can produce more of its own food,” he said.

The NITP Chairman listed some of the achievements made by the Institute in the last two years under his leadership to include; commencement of the construction of the new NITP-Joseph Awogbemi home, capacity building for members, hosting of the Femi Olomola Lecture and setting up of the NITP Trust Fund among others.

Speaking also, the President, Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), Mr Bisi Adedire, said there was need for regulation and control of the property and housing market.

Adedire said it has become imperative to regulate, monitor and control of the housing market in view of the high cost of building materials and landed property across the country, and particularly in the state.

According him, the persistent high cost of land and building materials is as a result of lack of adequate regulation and control of the housing market.

Adedire expressed optimism that the prices of land and building materials would come down if efforts would be to regulate and control prices of commodities in the housing market.