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
Microfinance and Its Impact on Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria: A Case Study of Some Selected Microfinance Banks in Edo State (Review Completed - Accepted)
This research examines the relationship microfinance and poverty alleviation in Nigeria, to understand the effectiveness of micro credit within the context of its current practice in Edo State in particular, and the nation as a whole as a tool for wealth creation and capital accumulation among the poverty stricken populace and low income earners. The study made use of primary data obtained through field survey from the selected microfinance banks in Edo State and utilized quantitative tools to analyze these data so as to bring out any existing relationship between microfinance and poverty alleviation. The results obtained showed that microfinance has the potential of alleviating poverty by ensuring wealth creation and its attendant self-sufficiency. From our result, about 70% of the sampled population agreed that there is a positive relationship between microfinance and improved standard of living of the recipients of these micro credits; 78% attested that they obtained some sort of credit from microfinance banks to set up their small scale businesses, without which it would be impossible to do so; about 67% said they have used loan collected to expand their business while 24% said they used the loan collected to invest on new technology for their business and the remaining 9% of the respondents obtained loans to facilitate the export of their products. Focus of microfinance programmes in poor communities for it to be meaningful; a massive educational drive on the importance of microfinance in fighting widespread poverty should be launched in the country; etc were some of the recommendations made in this study
Keywords: Capital Accumulation, Low Income Earners, Micro Credit, Microfinance, Poverty Alleviation, Wealth Creation