14th March, 2016
By Aminat Bakare
There is no gain saying that, private involvement in many sectors of the Nigerian economy has greatly contributed in no small measure to the development of the nation.
It has helped to inject diverse and better approach to the development of the economy in sectors such as health, infrastructure, transport, agriculture, education among others. This is visible in all these sectors as the blue chip companies and industries that abound in the country have all helped to develop the economy and have contributed to the GDP and thus improved the living standard of the people.
For instance in the Gateway State, the Ogun State Housing Corporation has remained one of the agencies of government that has enjoyed the public private collaboration to deliver their mandate on housing development and fulfillment of the functions and objectives of the corporation which include: Acquisition, Development, construction and management of Housing Estates, Commercial and industrial estate; Design, construction and maintenance of dwelling houses, commercial industrial buildings and the provision and maintenance of roads, foot ways, drains, sewers and watercourses for or and commission with any housing estate, commercial on industrial estates, or building owned, constituted or managed by the corporation to mention a few.
Since private public collaboration efforts to deliver mass housing cannot be overemphasized, this has made the corporation collaborate with private organizations, financial organizations and other housing financing development agencies to ensure that people in the state have access to decent, safe and sanitary housing accommodation at affordable cost with secured land tenure. The Private Public Partnership (PPP) system deployed in Ogun State has actually raised the bar of Housing delivery.
One of such public/private partnership gesture was the collaboration of Shelter Afrique, a Nairobi-based Commercial Institution. The agency which is owned by 44 African countries and the African Development Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Housing Corporation to build a N2.bn Worker’s Housing Estate in the state. The estate located in Kemta, Idi-Aba in Abeokuta would be for Civil/Public Servants who are contributing to the National Housing Fund (NHF).
Worthy of mention is the intention of WAPCO operations, a subsidiary of Larfage Plc. to assist the state through the Housing Corporation to promote product currently available at the company and micro finance scheme which would help the State Government to achieve more housing deliveries at an affordable cost and in lesser time.
Nevertheless, with the “Budget of Optimization” for the year 2016 presented by Governor Ibikunle Amosun before the State House of Assembly, there is no doubt that Affordable Housing and Urban Renewal as the 4th cardinal programme of the present administration will record success in quick time. The reason for this is not far-fetched, based on the fact that the administration had listed various housing projects to be accomplished in partnership with the private sector which it considered as critical element in achieving the aspirations to grow the economy of the State and create wealth for the people.
Among the projects highlighted include: the design of Abeokuta City Centre; provision of an Industrial Estate at Agbara; construction of MITROS City in Abeokuta, Sagamu, and Iseri; the harnessing of new sites at Sagamu, Ikenne, Ijebu-Ode, among others.
Having identified the relevance of public/private partnership in fast tracking housing development, particularly at reducing the challenges of housing deficit, stakeholders in the housing sector should therefore contribute meaningfully to further complement government efforts to make affordable housing available to all and sundry.
—Bakare wrote from Ogun State Housing Corporation