ANALYSIS OF INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE HOUSING IN LAGOS MEGACITY, NIGERIA
Main Article Content
Keywords
Infrastructure, Infrastructure development, Lagos megacity, neighbourhood, sustainable housing
Abstract
Studies which confirmed the huge urban housing and infrastructure deficits in Lagos, Nigeria have often considered urban housing in isolation from its infrastructure. This paper analysed the link between infrastructure development and sustainable housing through the comparative case-studies of three housing sectors in Lagos megacity. The study stressed the importance of infrastructure to human and economic development, with the objective of determining the
sustainability of urban housing development in the context of neighbourhood infrastructure provision in the study area. It analysed the state of physical and social infrastructure especially as they relate to urban housing, distinguishing between public, organized private and popular housing sectors. Primary data were obtained from an on-going research project on the Lagos megacity, complemented by secondary data from related literature. The paper identified the associative factors for the housing deficit and those implicating deficiencies in infrastructure development, to include: one-off and ad-hoc approaches to housing problems; inappropriate implementation of housing and urban policies; inaccessibility and high costs of lands; under-investment in infrastructural expansion; poor maintenance and upgrading culture; systemic failures in mortgage schemes for home-ownership; and problems related to urban governance. The paper offered recommendations of options to consider in addressing the issues of housing and infrastructure deficits. It concluded on the need for housing developments that enhance mixed neighbourhoods, cost-efficient infrastructure management, and an integrated approach to resolving the deficit challenges in the built environment.
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