Reports say the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, made the call during the commissioning of Fiona Lawton Apartments, built by Eximia Realty Company Limited to boost the mid-tier segment of the housing market in the country. He commended the firm for taking advantage of the opportunities and conducive environment provided by Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration for private enterprises to thrive, especially in the real estate sector.
Again, Ayinde was right to emphasise the need for all players in the built industry to avoid undermining established rules, processes and procedures to prevent incidents of collapsed buildings and resultant loss of lives and properties. There is need for official intervention by the state authorities in building more housing units and in policy re-engineering to give the people decent accommodation. Government’s inability to provide adequate housing for its teeming population has for long given greedy landlords, agents and touts opportunity to exploit hapless tenants. This is unfortunate. Government has a responsibility, constitutionally and otherwise, to encourage a boom in housing provision.
The need for affordable housing for Nigerians cannot be overemphasized against the backdrop of the gross housing deficit plaguing the country. Poor planning, inadequate investment and lack of commitment on the part of government are among the factors hampering housing development and these should be addressed urgently.