A recap on the Nigerian environment and housing in early 2015
saw many trend some exhilarating some saddening. There were various incidence
of building collapse, flooding, fast pacing deforestation in Northern States of
the federation, and other human difficulties.
The scenario of the climate change in practice has lead to
many environmental hazards in both developing and developed countries. There is
no doubt the turbulent and challenging factor that raised dust in every part of
the continent is a true reflection of what has happened in the past. Various conventions such as the Kyoto
protocol, Copenhagen summits and recently, the Durban summit all made a
wonderful conclusion as to the way forward on the persistent challenges of the
climate devour-er.
But still, the implementation
of its findings remains one factor to many in the face of some nations whose
countries are more affected. Were some sees it as exploiting, given that many
of the advance nation are the larger consumer of it products in commercial
quantity and in the alternative, environmental damages is primarily affecting
those mineral producing countries in developing Africa counterparts, where it
was reported to be the largest exporter of its mineral resources to the
developed countries mainly for commercial purpose. In some thing that remains
one big set back to developing countries.
painfully, reports indicate that the global emission has high of it proportion
in African continent since the exploration process is here, the developed countries has less burden since it only consumes it
finished product. What then could be proffered as workable mitigating process
from all this developments? Also, the threat to life and property by flood is
now becoming an annual event in many Nigerian urban centers. Report indicate
that every quarter of the country was virtually affected by floods as compared
in a very few location in 1978, this as revealed is an increase of 60 percent
over 20years.
The extension of the flood accordingly, must have been as a
result of urbanization. Adding to the above is the fact that the occurrence of
flood in Nigeria is becoming more frequent and almost an annual event. This is
an experience that is witnessed internationally; hence Nigeria is not an
exception. For, according to report on world habitat, Rio in Brazil reveal that increasingly, there is evidence that what
was once considered a so called 100 years flood is now likely to occur one
every 50 years or even 20years.it continues and it is recognition of the fact
that weather patterns are changing as a result of the human contributions to it
effects.
We are seeing more
instances of severe weather, which recently caused serious flood challenges in
various parts of the states early this year. Oduwaye, a physical planner
strongly believes in the use of mitigation mechanism by all the state involved.
Citing the scenario that occurred early this year in ikorodu , he said, the
incidence happened mainly as a result of lack of communication with their
counterpart in ogun state before the opening of dam in the state which lead to
destructions of life and properties. Adding that the coming of wet season
should no longer meet the government unaware. In the area of environmental
sustainability, reports indicate that Nigeria is currently losing 50sqm of its
land mass annually to the advancing desert in the northern state of borno,
yobe, katsina, sokoto, and Kano.
It reveals that72million
Nigerians have no access to safe drinking water while 55.2 million Nigerian
have no access to improve sanitation. A vital point here is that much
declaration has been made toward solving it as a result; it was incorporated
into international awareness at the millennium summit of the millennium development
goal targets that is expected to be achieved at the termination of this year
end.
Yet, appreciable
progress is still far fetched. Some
initiative of the government involvement at various levels is reported to have remain an efforts not enough to stem it
fast growing implications, were if urgent attention is not given to this growing treads, the inhabitants will
pay dearly for it. On the housing front, a renowned urban expert oyewole
fagbohun, observed that Nigeria has housing scheme and programmes but that
there is no clear housing policy. It is not surprising, therefore, that such
schemes and programmes fail to accomplish their desired goals in the past and
present.
Noting that housing scheme require a comprehensive housing
strategy which he says remain a foundation for any effective and meaningful
housing policy as a laying foundation for the future. The ultimate goal of this
is to ensure that any proposed housing scheme or programme in the context of
the total urban development or redevelopment will satisfy or lay a foundation
for satisfying the housing needs and demand of the target population up to a
nationally pre-determined standard or level, based on financial and other
resources of the nation. He noted that the present proposed policy on housing
by the government should include
among others, a strategy of economizing on the use of resources and avoiding
the destruction of the existing assets; exploiting the willingness of the
people to contribute in kind and their ability to contribute in cash to their
housing.
Fagbohun said, adding
that providing a range of different standard of housing to match the resources
and needs of different income group and ensuring a reasonably equitable
distribution of available resources for housing between different in come group remain inevitable if the present government is indeed willing to ensure housing for
all. The incidence cases of building
collapse has reported indicate that between 1983 t0 2007, there are about 101
reported cases of building collapse were
the numbers of cases varied from year to year. It reveals that the cases have
become a major occurrence in urban centre, particularly in Lagos, Ibadan and
Kaduna. Also, in the report, it indicated that death toll of about 376 lives occurred
within those stipulated periods respectively.
Until recently, a
building collapse case was reported along akoka, living behind two people
caught in the trap, which finally found lifeless after all effort was put
together to bring out those victims. In proffering solution to these ugly
trends, olaseni, a housing expert, is of the view that their is need to
strengthen development control laws. He said; situations were certificate of
occupancy is not granted before the commencements of building indeed encourage
the persistence problems of building collapse.
While pleading with
these new administration, he said there should be strict application of processes,
in development of any buildings, believe these government can still put more
policies on ground to stem these persistence cases of building collapse. He
believes that their expectation as stake-holders should not fall short of those
outlined, ‘’there must be legal
ingredients to stem the tide of persistence collapse of buildings to which will enhance the reduction of the trend
to a bearable level. Noting that the
controlled mechanism presently is limited to the aspect of development alone
which one can channel to the course of persisting cases of building collapse in
Nigerian cities.
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