A real estate consultant, Mr Tunde Makanjuola, has urged governments at all levels to muster the political will to check the housing deficit in the country.

Makanjuola told newsmen in Lagos recently, that government’s policy interventions in the housing sector were quite noted but that these policies were rarely implemented or haphazardly implemented.

According to him, Nigeria seems to be long on policy, but very short on implementation.

Makanjuola, who is Managing Partner in Katalyst Management Services, said that successive government had ambitious policies on housing, “but the problem has been lack of political will to tackle the problem.

“Government should muster the political will and make more purposeful efforts to solve the housing situation in the country,” he said.

According to him, government should create enabling environment in the housing sector so that individuals and private agencies can get more involved in housing construction.

“Individuals and private agencies are likely to build more and better houses than the government or quasi-government agencies, especially in Nigeria where there is a high level of corruption,” he said.

Makanjuola advised that government should vigorously pursue a housing strategy that is “end-users driven” through cooperatives, development agents, and public-private sector participation.

“Since most housing delivery projects are long-term investments and capital intensive, financial institutions should be encouraged to finance some of these projects,” he said.

Makanjuola said that building material constituted about 55 per cent of total construction cost and as such the use of local materials should be encouraged while imported ones should be discouraged.