IMPLICATION OF PLANNING, HOUSING AND RURAL AREA IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The provision of adequate housing to the citizenry has been a major challenge to governments in both developed and developing nations of the world. Housing is combination of characteristics for the purpose of providing a unique home within a given neighbourhood, thus, it is an array of economic, social and psychological phenomenon. This paper examines the development of housing units in a rural area in Nigeria and the provision of infrastructures with a view to ascertaining the sustainability of the housing environment.  The study revealed that for housing development to be sustainable, basic infrastructures such as electricity, water supply and waste disposal system had to be put in place. Considering the different models against which to measure the sustainability of the housing environment, there is still a lot to be achieved in the study area in the provision of basic infrastructures. Planning for housing and setting standards for the regulation of building construction is a task that seems to overwhelm the relevant government authorities in Nigeria and other parts of the developing world. This paper therefore examines the implication of planning, housing and rural areas in Nigeria. It also appraises their activities so far in the area of implementation, their challenges and lastly, makes recommendation for improvement.

Keywords Planning, Housing and rural development.

Introduction

The state of housing available to the people in any nation is a fairly accurate reflection of the quality of life in that country. It is a very important facet of the national economy and an important element for increasing productivity and domestic capital formation. It provides employment and fosters desirable social attitudes. Also housing confers honour and social dignity on the owners. Housing units like other urban projects constitute a reduction in the natural environment and the energy consumption contributes certain percentage to the depletion of the ozone layer. This paper examines the sustainability of housing development in a residential estate by comparing some codes for measuring sustainable homes. It provides an overview of the situation in Nigeria in terms of provision of housing and infrastructures by individual, communal and governmental participation. The paper encapsulates the need for housing infrastructure in a rural area in order to ensure the sustainability of the housing environment.

                In terms of quantitative housing in Nigeria, the number of existing housing units including those being built throughout the length and breadth of the federation are not at par with the current demand (Aluko, 2007). The unmet need of housing among the generality of Nigerians, particularly among those at the lowest rung of the economic ladder, has been a recurring problem in our National life. Since every society is faced with the problems of providing habitation in sufficient quantity, and obtaining the kind and quality desired, at prices that individuals and families can afford. With the inability of the inhabitants to afford the financial cost of the housing needs, the next hope lies with the public authorities for the provision of public especially housing for the low income groups. Hence, the government’s concerns to sustain and assist the low income and middle income households, to live in adequate housing by making it possible for them to build or purchase houses of their own. About twelve years ago, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing projected that by the year 2000, eight million units of houses would be needed before housing could be provided for all. This amounted to five million

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housing units in the urban areas and three million units in the rural areas. This projection would have

doubled b now (2011). Even the parastatals complained that the Federal Government would need about N16 trillion ($103billion) then to provide housing for all citizens at a minimum housing unit cost of N200,000 ($1,290). And with yearly budget of the country which was about N200 billion ($1.3 billion) in 1999, it would take 80 years to raise N16 trillion ($103 billion). This means that it would be close to the end of the next millennium before the present housing problem could be solved. Now that a minimum

housing cost is about N1.5 million ($9,700), and with 2011 budget at N4.2 trillion ($27 billion), there is need for about N14 trillion ($90.3billion) for housing alone. With this scenario, the ultimate goal of the National Housing Policy to ensure that all Nigerians own or have access to decent accommodation at affordable cost by the year 2,000 A.D. was dashed and even up till now Therefore concerted efforts are quickly being looked into in order to reconsider viable policies and strategies that will alleviate the suffering of the masses. Sustainable plans are being focused on for proper housing delivery.

Concept of Rural Development:              

 Rural Development is part of general development that embraces a large segment of those in great need in the rural sector. Hunter (1964) was among the earliest to use the expression Rural Development which he considered as the "starting point of development" characterized by subsistence. World Bank in Ekpo and Olaniyi (1995) defined rural development as a process through which rural poverty is alleviated by sustained increases in the productivity and incomes of low-income rural dwellers and households. This definition is defective as it dwelt majorly on the economic growth, which is just an aspect of development. Taking into cognizance, the economic growth and social upliftment as aspects of development, Ijere (1990) regarded rural development, as the process of increasing the per capita income and the quality of life of the rural dweller to enable him become prime mover of his own destiny. Obinne in Ogidefa (2010) perceived rural development to involve creating and widening opportunities for (rural) individuals to realize full potential through education and share in decision and action which affect their lives. He also viewed it as efforts to increase rural output and create employment opportunities and root out fundamental (or extreme) cases of poverty, diseases and ignorance.

                         Therefore, combining all the essential elements of development, Rural Development can be described as the integrated approach to food production as well as physical, social and institutional infrastructural provisions with an ultimate goal of bringing about both quantitative and qualitative changes which result in improved living standard of the rural population. It therefore, infers that agricultural production (development) is a component of rural development as more than two-third of Nigeria's 150 million citizens are farmers. They live in an estimated 97,000 rural communities. Their lives are characterized by misery, poverty, morbidity and under-development (Ekpo & Olaniyi, 1995). Hence, it has been widely recognized that the rural areas and people are characterized by the following: general poverty trap, low income and investment ratchet, underutilized and/or unutilized natural resources, rapidly increasing population, under-employment and/or disguised employment, low productivity, especially of labour, low and traditional technology, limited enterprise or

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entrepreneurship, high level of illiteracy, ignorance, disease and malnutrition, near absence of social

and physical infrastructures (like all-season roads, potable water, electricity, good schools, health centres, etc.), and political powerlessness, gullibility and level of general vulnerability (Lele & Adu-Nyako, 1991: 1 – 29).Rural development has scope that is broad and elastic, and it depends on the interaction of many forces such as the objectives of the programme, the availability of resources for planning and implementation, etc. In developing countries, such as Nigeria, rural development projects will include agricultural set-up projects, rural water supply projects, rural electrification projects, rural feeder-road and maintenance projects, rural health and disease control projects, rural education and Adult education campaign, rural telecommunication system, and rural industrialization. Based on the scope of rural development (as the improvement of the total welfare of the rural low-income people),

the following objectives of rural development evolved:

(i)To have greater commitment of the resources to the rural areas in terms of budgeting allocation and     actual expenditure.

(ii)To ensure popular participation of the rural people in the identification of priorities, planning of programmes as well as their implementation.

(iii)To lay greater emphasis on the use of total resources and promotion of local skills.

(iv)To expand and improve on rural infrastructure such as roads, markets stalls, electricity, water and storage facilities.

(v)To maintain political and social stability

(vi)To create rural employment opportunities

(vii)To increase commodity out-put and production and subsequently increase food and food supply as well as rural farm incomes

From the objectives of the rural development in Nigeria, Ijere (1990) postulated that the underlying principles of rural development are as follows:

(i.) The leaders and policy-makers should be committed to the philosophy of rural development for the improvement of the rural sector.

(ii.) There should be total community involvement in rural development. To ensure this, rural development organizers should delegate powers to local leaders at all levels of the population who should account for the exercise of that power. Also, a more suitable community participation approach using the people's institutions and leaders is imperative.

(iii) Incentives and motivation should be built into the rural development system. These could be in form of citations, honourable mentions, honorary titles and prizes, competition between villages, towns and local government areas, organizing rural development day to select the best farmers, cleanest communities, accident-free communities, etc.

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(iv.) All aspects of the peoples life should be affected by the rural development schemes to allow for even development.

(v). A core of local leadership should be built-up to sustain the rural development effort. There should be a standing development planning committee in every community from which such persons can be mobilized.

(vi.) There should be development of appropriate skills (human capital development) as well as implementation capacity to sustain new technologies and improvement of social welfare.

(vii.) Rural development programmes should utilize the cultural values and practices of the people. It makes the scheme understandable and meaningful. Indigenous institutions such as age grades; youth organizations, clubs and town unions should be used in reaching the people and in mobilizing latent energies.

Concept of Planning :

Planning is a word of many meanings. To some, it means blueprint for the future; to others, it means government’s responsibility to take whatever action necessary to ensure that the economic system operates efficiently. To a house-wife, planning may be conceived as means of managing her feeding budget within the allowance allocated to her by the husband and to a class teacher, planning relates to the preparation in advance of his/her lecture. One common meaning of planning is that it is concerned with deliberately achieving some objectives (which may be individual or corporate) and it proceeds by evolving strategies and actions arranged in a prioritised order or sequence.

In view of these observations, planning generally involves thinking ahead and making advance arrangements to achieve particular objectives. Planning embraces the simple process of determining appropriate future action through a sequence of CHOICES. There is no form one can talk of planning without bringing out the issue of choice. In the same vein, Oyesiku (2002) defines planning as the art and science of making choices among options in the present and future development and securing their implications subject to allocation of necessary resources.

Planning then becomes an idea that transcends the entire human endeavour. It can be applied to virtually all human activities, right from the level of individual, the family or the neighbourhood’ to that of the town, district or the society. The application of the term ‘’planning’’ to the management of our environment is often times traditionally referred to as ‘Town Planning’. Town planning is the art and science of ordering the use of land and the character and siting of buildings and communication routes so as to secure maximum practicable degree of economy, convenience and beauty (Keebles, 1969).

In the same vein, town planning is concerned with the provision of the right site at the right time in the right place for the right people (i.e. users). From all indications, the objective of town planning essentially is to create a pleasant and healthy environment for man.

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 Policy Aims

 Introduction

In supporting housing development patterns in rural areas that are sustainable, policies and practices of planning authorities should seek to:

(1) Ensure that the needs of rural communities are identified in the development plan process and that policies are put in place to ensure that the type and scale of residential and other development in rural areas, at appropriate locations, necessary to sustain rural communities is

accommodated,

(2) Manage pressure for overspill development from urban areas in the rural areas closest to the main cities and towns such as the gateways, hubs, and other large towns. An important task in addressing these aims is to identify the scale and distribution of the future housing needs of rural communities and to set out policies in the development plan. Planning authorities should aim, therefore, to support the following overarching policy objectives in their policies, practices and actions:

• The importance of encouraging development needed to

sustain and renew established rural communities in both

smaller rural towns and villages and wider countryside

areas,

• The need to ensure that the planning system guides residential

and other development to the right locations in rural areas

in the interest of protecting natural and man-made assets in

those areas, and

• The need to analyse the different types of economic, social

and physical circumstances of different types of rural areas

and to tailor planning policies to respond to these differing

local circumstances.

Sustaining and Renewing Established Rural Communities

Planning authorities should monitor development, population, economic and other trends in rural areas closely and ensure that the planning system is responding. For example:

(1) Significant population decline in rural areas should trigger the need for development plan and local authority investment policies aimed at encouraging housing development at

appropriate identified locations in parallel with promoting development and economic activity in smaller villages and towns.

(2) Very significant population increases in rural areas adjoining towns and cities in contrast with population stability or decline within these urban areas suggests the need to examine

the reasons why the population of the town or city is not growing, how any barriers to development might be overcome and appropriate supportive policies for rural areas

adjoining urban areas. The key message in this regard is that the planning system must

take a more analytically based and plan led approach.

  

Strengthening Rural Villages and Towns

Difficulties in securing affordable and high quality housing in cities, towns and villages are frequently cited as the reason why many people seek to build houses in the open countryside.

Planning authorities need to ensure that cities, towns and villages offer attractive and affordable housing options to meet the housing needs of urban communities and persons wishing to live in urban areas. This will assist in mitigating excessive levels of pressure for urban generated development in rural areas, especially those closest to the environs of cities and towns. It will also enhance the availability and affordability of sites and housing in rural areas to meet the housing needs of the established rural community. Arrange of different housing options in small

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towns, villages and in more rural areas is required to meet the differing needs of the

people who live in those communities. Local government area have a variety of measures available to them to secure the ongoing development, renewal and improvement of towns and villages. These measures include the incorporation of appropriate policies in the development plan, derelict sites legislation and serviced land initiatives relating to water service

and roads related infrastructure. Development of individual serviced sites or housing schemes of

appropriate scale and character, within, or in the vicinity of small rural towns and villages can be encouraged using these mechanisms. Using the development plan and local plan processes, planning authorities should therefore make every effort to harness all of these measures to ensure that sufficient high quality, well located and affordable development can take place. Further suggestions in this regard will be contained in forthcoming Guidelines on Development Plans.

   

Guiding Development

The planning system seeks to encourage and support appropriate development at the most suitable locations. Objective policies and unambiguous criteria will both aid persons preparing applications for permission to carry out development and build wider public

support for the planning system. For example, looking to the area of natural and cultural heritage

and natural resources, rural areas contain many features of interest and value that are key elements of that heritage and which are also a key part of a healthy economy and vibrant society. Natural features include habitats, environmentally sensitive areas,

important scenic landscapes of national and international repute, ground and surface waters, mineral and aggregate reserves. Features and assets created by human activity include aspects of heritage such as archaeology, inland waterways and protected structures. Siting new development in rural areas in a way that protects the integrity of these natural and man-made features is an essential part of sustainable development. The development plan has a key

role to play in identifying features and providing helpful advice. Such advice could include checklists to assist applicants in choosing the most appropriate sites and positions within sites. Such advice should also indicate the measures that could be adopted to minimise the impact of the proposed development.

 

 Tailoring Planning Policies to Local Circumstances

Sites in different rural areas or indeed different sites in the same area can differ markedly as regards suitability for development due to a range of different considerations, including access and drainage. The planning and development issues inherent in considering an application for a dwelling in a rural area close to, for example, the outskirts of Dublin, or a major county town or

on the western seaboard all differ considerably. Within a county or part of a county, local development trends, road access issues or drainage matters can create varying considerations relating to proper planning and sustainable development.

Taking account of the above, the outcome of different planning applications which may seem largely similar will not always be the same. However, the planning system must aim for consistency and transparency in the application and interpretation of development plan policy criteria in the assessment of all applications.

 Rural Development/ Planning Approaches : The overall aim of rural planning efforts is geared towards the improvement of the lives of the rural population. However, several approaches aimed at arresting the ugly under-development situation in rural areas have been put forward. According to Ijere (1990: 52 – 54), they include the following:

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1. Growth Pole Centre Model: This model is also known as "Growth Point Model". The model involves the development of a few strategic towns, communities and industries likely to activate other sectors. The model focuses attention on the development of few towns leading to the neglect of the rural areas.

2. The "Big Push" Policy: This approach is similar to the growth pole centre model except that it is more concentrated. It takes a few sub-sectors and expends most of the resources on them in the hope that in the long run, their multiplier effect will salvage the whole economy. The flaw in this model is that "in the long run" is not a specific period.

3. The Selective Approach: This model/approach involves the selection of certain sectors for development based on economic, political, social or religious grounds, which may not necessarily be related or inter-connected.

4. The Protectionist Approach: In this approach, the government carries out the development process on behalf of the people believing that it knows everything and that the people are not yet ripe to participate, in the management of their own affairs.

5. The Top-down Approach: It is also called the Top-bottom approach. It is a strategy based on passing down to the poor certain policies and directives from the governing bureaucracy. This type of rural development approach requires force to maintain and sustain it. 

6. The Decentralized Territorial Approach: This approach centres on the dispersal of benefits to the rural area. It has minimum linkage with the city but with settlements of various sizes to act as service and market centres. The defect in this approach is the undue fear of towns being exploitative and parasitic, and the consideration that size alone could determine the performance of a settlement.

Housing Delivery in Nigeria

When we examine the housing delivery system, we tried to explain the total number of building constructions that is made available especially to the people and rental sub sector. Certificates of occupancy are collected on land to be developed for building purposes. The assumption is that the number of housing development can be estimated from the legal document. When we compare the figures of the buildings that are finally ratified and collected with number of submissions for processing and approved, we found out that they are very low. Which indicates that rate of building construction is very low compared with  expected demand from households. The minister for works and housing admitted when he said “the ministry is aware of the huge housing problems facing the people” (The Liberation, May 25, 2011, p.4). The ministry has requested for N5.5 trillion ($3.6 billion) from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and National Housing Fund (NHF) to build 20 million housing units across the country. So with millions of housing units needed in Lagos alone, hardly can the State boast of 5000 housing supply annually.

Solution to some planning dilemma

(i) Rural Infrastructure Planning and Development

(ii) Urban Management

(iii) Planning Administration.

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I. Rural Infrastructure Planning and Development:

In spite of the abundant resources in the rural areas in Nigeria, the areas for many years have not received the deserved attention in terms of policy formulation and implementation. This is an indication that the rural areas which currently accommodate over 60 percent of the Nigerian population had long been neglected (Olujimi 1988, 2003). However, the long neglect of the rural areas in Nigeria has always been associated with high poverty rate and under-development. It has also resulted in the classification of the zones as areas with high propensity for outmigration (Udo, 1975). Olujimi (1996) has also established the long neglect of the rural areas which has equally resulted in non-availability of rural infrastructure in the areas. The lack of rural infrastructure has been the bane of rural problem. Often times, governments on their own part have been hiding under the pretext that the scattered distribution pattern and the small population in the villages have not made the provision of rural infrastructure in villages a viable project.

II Rural Dwellers and Health

Governments and International organisations have long recognised the need to improve the health of the poor. In the 1970s, the World Health Organisation (WHO) led global effort to achieve ‘Health for all’ by the year 2000. More than 40 years later however, the goal remains elusive. The popular parlance that ‘health is wealth’ is based on the understanding that good health is a pre-condition for socio-

political and economic development. Unfortunately, formal health services are simply unable to reach significant fraction of the people in most developing countries that are yearning for development of which Nigeria is one and in which rural dwellers are most affected.

II. Urban Management

The increasing population coupled with the depressed economic situation in Nigeria has continued to make intra-and inter-city movement of people and goods to rely heavily on public transport which is largely in the hands of the private sector. The growing importance of inter-city travels through public transport is associated with attendant problems of delays, insecurity of passenger’s goods, and lack of convenience for passenger’s comfort at motor parks; which are the points of origin and destination of travels. The intra-city travels cannot be spared from all these problems. However, they are predominantly characterised by frequent traffic hold-ups as a result of picking and dropping of passengers and goods at unauthorised points coupled with the activities of rival motor transport unions.

Olujimi (2000h) examined the locations and management of motor parks in Akure. Sixteen (16) motor parks that were strictly used by commercial vehicles were identified, out of which 10 were inter-town motor parks and only 5 of the motor parks were operated at authorised locations. The remaining 5 motor parks were operated at unauthorised locations, which were either privately leased or forcefully occupied and converted to motor parks by the National Union of Roads Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN). The remaining 6 motor parks were intra-city motor parks and they were operating at unauthorised locations.

The statutory role to grant approval for any type of physical development falls on the Town Planning Authority, under whose jurisdiction the location of such development is sited. The local government council authority never sought approval for any of the motor parks constructed at the authorised locations. Each of the motor parks can best be described as sheds, without any functional supporting infrastructure. The management of the motor parks was ceded to the NURTW, which in turn remits ‘peanut’ (i.e. ridiculously low amount of money) to the coffer of the local government council.

The unregulated sales of alcohol in all the motor parks, even throughout the south west (Oyedepo,

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1981) is inimical to the safety of lives and properties of the travellers and the drivers. The study finally called on the local government council authority to be more proactive in the management and location of motor parks with a view to ensure that all motor parks are located and constructed in accordance with planning laws and regulations; rather than using planning to intimidate opposing faction of transport unions while the sales of Union tickets on the carriage ways should be stopped by the government. In addition, the management of the motor parks must be taken away from the transport unions.

In Nigeria, the local government is the nearest to the grass root and obviously nearest to the problems of the people living in the urban centres than the other two tiers of government (i.e. Federal and State governments) in the Federation. The statutory functions of the local government as contained in the fourth schedule of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution made the local government responsible for the provision and maintenance of many of the social services which are most in demand by the urban population. The question bothering the minds of most physical planners in Nigeria is how well has the local government been able to manage the urban problems despite the opportunities available to the organ?

Olujimi (2000b, 2000c) examined the roles of the local government in the management of Nigerian towns and cities. The study among others identified the political incursion of the state governments into the statutory functions and finances of the local governments which had virtually rendered the local

government idle and irrelevant in the management of Nigerian towns. The statutory allocation to the local government from the federation account often times are politically hijacked and spent by the state. It has thus, left the local government in a poor financial situation and inability to invest in the equipment and viable ventures that can further enhance their performance in city management.

The study also identified the non-establishment of Town Planning Authorities (TPAs) at the local government areas in most states of the federation; as a gross violation of the Urban and Regional Planning law. The non-establishment of TPAs has made the control of physical development ineffective. Olujimi (2000a) called for the statutory liberation of the local government from the ‘political imprisonment’ of the state government. This would ensure that local government authority has sufficient funds for further investment in manpower, recruitment and retaining of capable hands that could turn around the local government in the effective management of our towns and cities.

III. Planning Administration

 Town Planners need ‘political will’ to get planning proposals implemented. Therefore, Town Planners are involved in what is referred to as ‘’politics of planning’’ which is strictly in the domain of planning administration. Olujimi (1993) evaluated planning administration in Nigeria with a focus on the then Ondo State. The findings of the study among others identified shortage of physical planning staff, unhealthy rivalry between physical planning agencies, low level of equipment and out-dated planning laws. The study suggested among others the need to take planning to the doorsteps of the people at the grassroots by allocating planning responsibilities to the local government and embarking on aggressive enlightenment among stakeholders to make physical planning acceptable. After six (6) years, the planning law in the state was put in place (ODSG, Edit No. 3 of 1999) but to-date major provisions of the law are yet to be implemented and it is under review.

One cannot but commend the effort of the present administration in Ondo State for the establishment

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of Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development. At the inception of the Ministry, a stakeholders’ forum was convened and suggestions on the modalities for the administration of physical planning in the state were made (Olujimi, 2009b). The on-going removal of illegal structures in parts of Akure, the state capital is a bold step taken by the present administration. Ekiti State has equally followed suit and Edo State is currently putting the modalities in place while Akwa Ibom State has announced its intension and Lagos State took the lead years back and the impact on the economy, social and physical outlook of the state are available for people to see.

 Conclusion and Recommendations

It is observed that Planning Authorities alone cannot enforce all the planning ordinances and laws that are to be implemented to achieve a desirable environment in rural area. It is therefore important for planning authorities to seek for team work and collaboration with other relevant fields in order to enhance capacity building to improve functionality in planning and housing in rural areas.

 Planners and planning agencies often dabbles and double up into filling the gap other professions such as transportation and landscape design making the task almost burdensome or doing thing haphazardly. In the light of this planning Authorities should involve and employ other land related professionals

 Planning Authorities should also have members of the Executive arm of government working with monitoring sections of the planning Agencies that will make quick arrest of environmental law offences

examples of which are the sanitary inspector and Special Forces that kick against in indiscipline.

 Planning Agencies should also be loyal to duty avoiding kick whatever form it may appear.