Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has urged the Federal Government to make affordable housing accessible to all Nigerians, insisting that adequate housing is a constitutional right.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the ongoing Africa International Housing Show (AIHS) said housing is essential for citizens’ security and welfare.
He stressed that security and welfare, which are the primary responsibilities of government under the Constitution, cannot be guaranteed if citizens are homeless.
“Under the Nigerian Constitution, every citizen shall be housed.
“We start with security and welfare, which is said to be the primary responsibility of the government.
“You cannot be secured if you have no house, if you are homeless. So your security and welfare starts with the fact that you are well accommodated,” he said.
Falana, lamented that the constitutional provision on housing remains unenforceable, making it difficult for poor Nigerians to seek legal redress when governments fail to provide adequate housing.
He criticised what he described as preferential treatment in government housing policies, arguing that public resources should not be used primarily to provide houses for the wealthy and politically exposed persons.
According to him, government must ensure equality before the law by pursuing housing policies that benefit all citizens, especially low-income earners.
“I was sad when I saw that the federal government was handing over the keys of houses to Judges.
“It is discriminatory and illegal. You must treat equals in our country. All citizens must be equally provided for. If you don’t do it, you can be challenged”
“The government has abandoned the poor while efforts are made regularly to take care of the rich.
“You are using government money to build houses for the rich instead of encouraging them to go for mortgages,” he said.
Falana also urged the government to strengthen existing housing laws and institutions, including making the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria more effective in delivering mass housing.
He advocated a return to policies that prioritise public housing development and greater involvement of government ministries and agencies in housing delivery.
He said government engineers possessed the expertise required to execute housing projects and should be adequately utilised to reduce dependence on contractors.
“The business of contractocracy, government of contractors by contractors for contractors, must stop,” he said.
Falana further called on the government to stop the demolition of poor communities without providing alternative accommodation for affected residents.
He cited instances of urban renewal programmes that displaced vulnerable populations and stressed that development should not come at the expense of the poor.
“The poor will not be removed unless the government will accommodate them,” he said.
The senior lawyer also called for policies that would reduce the cost of building materials, including supporting local manufacturing to make housing more affordable.
He urged the government to collaborate with private companies willing to invest in affordable housing technologies and building materials.
According to him, Nigerians must be mobilised to demand decent and affordable housing as a fundamental right. (NAN)
