Access to Land and the Delivery of Affordable Housing in Nigeria: An Assessment of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in Abuja, 1991 to 2013

Abstract

Access to land remains a major factor in all productive activities in every society. Hence, this study examines the extent to which access to land influences the ability of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in the delivery of affordable housing to the middle and low-income earners in Nigeria with a specific focus on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The study adopted survey approach with questionnaire and unstructured interview as major instruments of data collection. The study selected a sample size of 150 out of staff population of 430 which represents 34.9% of the study population. In analyzing the data, the study employed simple percentage, and arithmetic mean with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The hypothesis of the study was tested with Pearson’s chi-square method. The findings of the study revealed that there is no significant difference among the staff of FHA in their perception of difficulty in access to land as a major challenge to the delivery of affordable housing in Abuja. Consequently, the study recommends that the Federal Government should take measure(s) that could enhance the FHA’s access to land with a view to reducing the cost of its houses for the citizenry. The amendment to the Land Use Act (1978) to simplify the process of securing land titles and eliminate the existing dual ownership of land titles in the country is long overdue.