If the popularity of a government is tested on its ability to satisfy the housing need of the mass of the people, former President Shehu Shagari’s administration would be liked by many. Shagari’s government saw the need to provide shelter and embarked upon a widespread housing programme.
The Shagari housing project tagged Shagari Low Cost Housing was implemented in all the local government areas of the country. It is a feat that has not been matched by any government before or after the administration of the Sokoto-born leader. General Sani Abacha might have done a big housing project but his was limited to Abuja and not within the affordable range.
It is for this wonderful housing legacy that we at Viewpoint Housing News pay tribute to the former president. Not only us, many housing stakeholders are similarly pouring encomia on Shagari today.
Shagari who died last Friday was buried on Saturday in Sokoto with many dignitaries paying respect. His administration is adjudged one of the most peaceful and progressive in the history of Nigeria. Shagari, who was 93, died on December 28, 2018 in the National Hospital, Abuja. Shagari was president from 1979 to 1983 and won re-election before he was dethroned by a coup d’etat that brought in Muhammadu Buhari as military head of state.
Shagari was born on February 25, 1925 in Shagari, Sokoto State. After his early education, he worked as a teacher for a brief period before entering politics in 1951.
In 1954, he was elected to the federal House of Representatives. He served seven times in a ministerial or cabinet post as a federal minister and federal commissioner from 1958–1975 before he was elected president in 1979. He won a disputed re-election in 1983 that accelerated a military coup three months later after he was sworn in.
Shagari made housing one of the major goals of his administration. Maybe Nigeria’s housing situation might not have been this bad had Shagari’s plan to advance the cause of Nigeria’s housing and technological development was not aborted by the December 31, 1983 putsch.
And beneficiaries of Shagari’s housing policy have remained grateful. His demise is a great loss to them. The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba yesterday itemised the achievements of Shagari saying, “One of his…legacies was a national housing scheme, a component of which was the building of low-cost houses for workers across the then 19 states of the federation.”
It has been of interest much more that though he was not a housing expert, he could see that housing be given priority and accordingly, the sector enjoyed tremendous consideration.
Of course, if you give a man or woman shelter, you have given him/her quality life. This is because housing takes a huge toll on the worker. Once the trouble of the landlord asking for rent is cleared, there is freeing of resources and deploying of same to more family needs, hence rest of mind and good health.
It is said that over 70 percent of the city dweller’s income is fretted out on accommodation. It will therefore, be a huge relief on the citizen if government pursues a truly workable housing policy, a policy that takes away the stress of paying heavily for shelter.
Regrettably, though Shagari’s houses are still standing today, many of them are dilapidated. Even the ones in Gwagwalada, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are an eyesore. The walls are bare as they are blighted by long-time use, age and the elements. The squalid state of the Shagari houses shows that Shagari’s successors scarcely shared the vision he had.
Yet the houses are still very useful – serving not only families but public organisations as well. The students hostel of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, Nasarawa State is the Shagari houses. Many military people are also housed in Shagari houses.
To us, all this is a pointer to the fact that what Shagari started in early 80’s has not enjoyed appreciable tender. Shagari’s housing scheme was more realistic and impactful than what many governments have done. Of course, we can see the consequence of the vision falling through — as a 21 Century worker in Nigeria’s civil service, those who are drivers of government’s policies and programmes crawl out of slums to their offices. This is really no good.
Nigeria’s housing crisis has passed being a mere economic problem to a social crisis which requires government’s special attention. It is a social problem that needs big intervention. How can a civil servant who earns N18,000 afford half a million naira rent or N5 million house?
We therefore, urge government to revisit the Shagari housing scheme and see what could be taken from it in tackling Nigeria’s housing quagmire.
Of course, it might not be possible replicating what Shagari did in the early 80’s. But the principles governing his housing scheme can be of immense help now. For instance, ensuring that low cost houses are evenly spread across the country which made the Shagari housing scheme popular can be applied.
Government could consider achieving all this through what has become known as Land Swap. Land swap policy started by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has dual uses – it provides infrastructure as well as affordable houses.
Through the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), the federal government can engage the various states of the federation (including local councils) to drive an affordable housing programme that will take care of housing needs of Nigerians wherever they live. ERGP has a symbiotic relationship with housing because of the latter’s huge value chain. Let us not forget, ERGP is designed to turn around Nigeria’s infrastructure base and we know that housing cannot be useful without infrastructure.
Shagari low cost housing scheme opened new settlements. Land swap, hinged on opening of new districts can achieve same. It is a good option because it can be driven by all stakeholders, thereby relieving government of the burden.
Moreso, the main resource in land swap is land. Access to land has always been a challenge. But government being the custodian of land can easily get the work going. In their construction days, Shagari houses appeared to be in remote areas. But today, they have become part of the old towns because new developments have linked them up.
We can therefore, remember and honour the Second Republic President better if we do not ditch the frabjous housing policy he bequeathed to Nigeria.
