By our reporter
The Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria [REDAN] today the 26th of November 2020, held its 2nd Jakande Housing Lectures at the home of the former Minister of Works and Housing and a pioneering president of REDAN, Alhaji Lateef Jakande.
In this opening remarks, the current president of the association Dr. Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko described Lateef Jakande as a great housing icon, a legend and a man of vision. He said that this year’s series themed ‘Still on Affordable and Decent Housing in Nigeria’, is very apt as the association attempt to examine ‘in a holistic manner’ its activities and what improvements are needed to be made.
He acknowledged the harsh effects that came with the coronavirus pandemic that disrupted global economic activities including this year’s edition of the housing lecture series which is different from last year’s edition that had physical presence.
While appreciating the works of his predecessor, Reverend Ugochukwu Chime, Wamakko noted the effects that Covid-19 pandemic had on the country’s housing sector, questioning the Nigerian government directive on maintaining social distancing and adherence to good hygienic levels that include regular washing of hands in less than adequate housing environments.
“We are all aware that the Covid-19 pandemic had its own challenges on the Nigerian housing sub-sector as some of the most important initial protocols were to stay at home and wash your hands regularly, he noted.
“The question remains, was it feasible to adhere to such protocols when the populace has no adequate shelter with requisite infrastructures amongst which is water to wash hands”? He queried.
While commending the federal government’s plan to build 300,000 housing units under the Economic Sustainability Programme, Wamakko called for the redefining of government policies concerning housing at all levels. Formulation of such policies he said, “deserves comprehensive analysis and thought-through by the major practitioners in the sector for comprehensive and all-embarrassing success.
“As the most populous country on the African continent, the time to stem the housing deficit is now, if we want to get it right”, Wamakko added.
He also spoke on the housing scheme of REDAN, called the Rural Urban Housing Initiative [RUHI] 774, a scheme aimed at providing 100 affordable housing units in each of the 774 local government areas across the country, including Abuja the capital city. He called on the federal government to support the RUHI 774 scheme as it is designed to support citizens to own homes at their local governments or any part of the country.
He said that the scheme is projected towards producing 100% Nigerian houses, promoting local content development and to this, stated that REDAN has been collaborating with the Building Materials Producers Association of Nigeria [BUMPAN] and some other professional bodies in the built industry.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company(NMRC), Kehinde Ogundimu described Jakande as an exemplary leader and thanked REDAN for instituting this annual lecture in his honor. Ogundimu acknowledges that the housing deficit gap which he described as ‘enormous’ in the country seems to be the highest on the continent of Africa and called for support from the government to bridge the gap.
“Our housing deficit gap estimated to be over 17 million housing units is still the highest in the continent and the current efforts to resolve this remains inadequate.
“As daunting as Nigeria’s housing challenges are, they are not insurmountable and I dare say hold great promise and opportunities. History has handed us – the stakeholders, policy makers and government functionaries – the opportunity to make a difference in our efforts to continue the impact and legacies of Alhaji Lateef Jakande”
Jakande is described by many as one who understands what housing affordability entails and the functions of some variables housing, which include income, cost of construction of building and terms of payment.
It is understood that after Jakande’s term as a governor of Lagos state, Nigeria’s commercial hub, he had built 16 estates including 40-60,000 houses across the country. He is credited for having built the biggest estate in Abuja, known as the Gwarimpa Estate.



