A Review of Sustainable Housing Delivery Policy in Nigeria

Amadi; Henry Assobiriewu; Prof. Anthony Dornubari Enwin

doi:10.56201/ijgem.vol.12.no4.2026.pg173.189

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A Review of Sustainable Housing Delivery Policy in Nigeria

Amadi, Henry Assobiriewu, Prof. Anthony Dornubari Enwin

Abstract

This study critically examined sustainable housing delivery policies in Nigeria with emphasis on their effectiveness, implementation challenges, and prospects for improvement. The persistent housing deficit in Nigeria, estimated at over 20 million units, was attributed to rapid urbanisation, population growth, weak institutional frameworks, and ineffective policy implementation. Despite the existence of several housing policies and programmes, the provision of adequate, affordable, and sustainable housing remained a major developmental challenge. The study adopted a descriptive and analytical research design, relying on both primary and secondary data sources. Primary data were obtained through structured questionnaires and interviews administered to key stakeholders such as architects, urban planners, housing officials, real estate developers, and residents in Rivers State. Secondary data were derived from relevant policy documents, journals, and scholarly publications between 2020 and 2026. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings revealed that although awareness of housing policies was relatively high, their implementation remained largely ineffective. The integration of sustainability principles—environmental, economic, and social into housing delivery was found to be moderate and inconsistent. Major challenges identified included the high cost of construction materials, inadequate funding, weak institutional coordination, land administration constraints, corruption, and poor policy continuity. The study further revealed that housing delivery in Nigeria paid limited attention to climate-responsive design and environmental sustainability principles. The study concluded that the challenges of sustainable housing delivery in Nigeria were more a result of implementation inefficiencies than policy absence. It recommended the strengthening of institutional frameworks, improvement of housing finance systems, integration of sustainability principles into policy formulation and implementation, and enhanced public–private partnerships. The study contributed to knowledge by linking housing policy effectiveness with sustainable development outcomes within the Nigerian context.

Keywords

Housing; Policy; Implementation; Sustainability; Urbanisation; Development. IIARD International Journal of Geography & Environmental Management

References

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A Review of Sustainable Housing Delivery Policy in Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

References

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