Nigeria with many empty houses cannot be said to have housing crisis, says Fashola

 Nigeria with many empty houses cannot be said to have housing crisis, says Fashola

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday asserted that there is no housing crisis in Nigeria.

While refuting claims that Nigeria has 17 million housing deficit, he pointed out that a country with many empty houses cannot be classified as such.

Appearing on the weekly ministerial briefing organised by Presidential Communication Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he said that the pressure on housing in the country was caused by rural-urban migration, which he said created a demand and supply problem.

Fashola pointed out that even though people leave their houses in the rural areas to squat in the cities, it does not amount to housing deficit in the country.

He stated: “It’s illogical to say we have that housing deficit when you have empty houses. No such deficit exists anywhere in the world.”

Fashola said he had consulted with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and some international organisations including the African Development Bank (AFDP) who confirmed that the Nigerian housing deficit reports are not correct.

He therefore noted that they should be disregarded.

However, the minister affirmed that the actual housing deficit in Nigeria cannot be ascertained until another census is conducted in the country.

Details later…