Evaluating the Implementation of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for Housing Provision in Nigeria: A Case Study of Niger State (Published)
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) is a joint effort by the public and private sector for the financing, development, operation, and or ownership of public housing and infrastructure. The rapid increase in population and urbanization in Nigeria has resulted in a housing deficit of about 17-23 million. Mortgage financing which is the predominant means of funding housing eludes the low income earners due to their inability to access mortgage facilities. This paper evaluated the implementation of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as an option for public housing delivery in Nigeria using Niger State as a case study. Questionnaires were administered to 200 built-environment professionals in public and private sectors in Niger State and interview was conducted with NSPPPA officials on project conception and management. Official reports and guidance documents on PPP implementation for housing were also reviewed. The responses to the questions were categorized into political, project, financial, and environmental factors and the mean score of responses to each question were calculated before calculating the mean score of each category. Political (4.28) and project (4.24) factors were found to have the greatest influence in implementing PPPs in Niger State. Interview and document reviews also revealed that out of eight housing projects conceived under the Niger State PPP program in 2013 only four were implemented. Of the four implemented projects, two were completed while two were delayed due to lack of funds and disagreements between public and private sector partners. The study recommends among others that all stakeholders in Nigeria’s housing sector should work together to realize the goal of PPPs in housing as stated in the New National Housing and Urban Development Policy (NNHUDP) of 2002 and that government should focus more on the provision of housing for the low income earners as they are the most affected by the housing problem in Nigeria.
Keywords: Low Income Earners, housing delivery, housing finance, housing provision, public private partnerships