The God that Failed: A Critique of Public Housingin Nigeria, 1975–1995

Massive empirical evidence exists on the unsustainability of the policy of public sector provision of complete dwelling units (owing to its inefficiency in terms of its high delivery costs and limited impact). Yet, this discredited approach continues to be the thrust of public housing policies and programmes in Nigeria. This paper explores some of the underlying reasons for the continuing reluctance of the public sector to accept an enabling role in housing delivery and explains the negligible impact of public housing policies and programmes in the period 1975–1995 in terms of the existing situation. It finds that public sector passion for control of, and involvement in, all facets of the economy and a lack of probity in policy formulation and implementation (arising from human and political factors) have led to a huge waste of resources for housing, with the result that substantive housing problems have worsened over the years.