The housing construction process in Nigeria: Implications for urban growth and development

The major form of urban land use is housing construction. And since the pattern of urban land use largely determines the pattern of urban growth and development, this article argues that the housing construction process in Nigeria is an important contributory factor to the chaotic pattern of urban growth and the planless nature of its urban development. Through an evolutionary analysis of the house building process from precolonial to contemporary times, the article shows that as the building process has become more complex and convoluted, and as more agents, institutions and intermediaries have become involved in the various stages of housing construction, it has become difficult to monitor urban growth and its affects on the shape and pattern of urban development, especially in the absence of any form of plan to guide the development of most towns in the country. The article highlights the need for a master, structure or development plan to guide the growth and development of the urban areas, the review and strengthening of the existing land law, the encouragement of private layouts and the simplification of the building approval process.