ADEQUACY OF URBAN HOUSING SETTLEMENTS IN

NIGERIA:
A CASE STUDY OF NYANYA SATELITE TOWN, ABUJA.

BY

ADOKURU CHRISTOPHER AMASOR

M.TECH/2006/SET/1570
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY MINNA, NIGER STATE.

ABSTRACT
As part of the creation of the Federal Capital Territory, the Federal Government of Nigeria
developed large-scale public housing schemes to provide living spaces mostly for the Federal
employees in the recently created capital, Abuja. Several housing schemes were initiated in
various locations of the Federal Capital Territory such as; Kubwa, Nyanya, Karu, Lugbe, etc.
This paper examines the adequacy of these public houses, taking a study area of the Nyanya
satellite town; where a peculiar housing problem can be observed. This research is focussed on
using basic standards of housing adequacy to determine the nature and level of habitability of the
houses provided. This is done through the examination of certain physical characteristics of
housing such as; structural type, building features, housing conditions, and housing management
from administered questionnaire.
Key words: adequacy, satellite town, habitability, accessibility, housing conditions, Nyanya,
Abuja.

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The development of Abuja has been based on a master plan developed in 1979. The development
of Phase I is almost complete, with three phases remaining to be developed. The formal transfer
of the capital from Lagos to Abuja and the relocation of the operational headquarters of
Ministries and Parastatals was to be completed by 1998. While the relocation created a large
influx of workers to come and work in Abuja, the planning process neither made nor makes
effective allowance to house the labour force that is employed in construction, secondary and
tertiary activities to support the construction of the Capital City. Furthermore, perceptions of
decision makers with respect to the image of Abuja, led to regulations that constrained the supply
of affordable land and housing in Abuja, driving population growth to the periphery in satellite
areas where living conditions are poor - Karu, Nyanya, Gwagwalada and Suleja.
Nyanya is a peri-urban settlement in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, which is popularly
described as a satellite town. The major feature of the settlement is its rapid growth in size (area)
and population. In 1989, Nyanya was about 17 kilometres from the centre of Abuja but this
distance has been considerably reduced due to development that has taken place on both sides. In
terms of population, the 2006 National Census gives a figure of over 371,828, making Nyanya
second only to Garki and constituting 5.58% of the population of the F.C.T.
According to Onyanta (2007), a government commissioned survey in 2001 arrived at a figure of
80,000 and an average of 4-5 persons per household. The phenomenal growth in population is in
part attributed to the close proximity of Nyanya to the main city area. This makes it attractive to
civil servants and others who want to live relatively close to the centre.

The provision of adequate housing in Nigeria has been a thing of great concern for all
Governments in countries of the world. One of the most basic housing problems in urban
settlements relate to human living conditions. Many residents of urban areas do not have such
fundamental things as clean water, adequate living spaces, sanitary facilities, and suitable
housing. The satellite towns and squatter settlements in the Federal Capital Territory (F.C.T.)
provide a good illustration of this issue. The relocation of the nation’s capital to the FCT
triggered intense socio-political and economic activities in the hitherto tranquil and dreary
village, attracting the hasty and massive migration of people to the city.
The dearth of economic resources to meet the high costs of living in the city, coupled with the
shortages of houses, enlarged the number of illegal developments citywide at an alarming rate.
The hardest hit areas are Karu/Nyanya, Karmo, Kubwa and Gwagwa (see fig. 1.1). ‘These
settlements grew rapidly within areas otherwise earmarked for specified city development
projects and in some cases at very close points to the city centre or at sites originally designed to
protect Abuja’s periphery from development encroachments or unplanned expansions. They
were generally overcrowded and lacked basic amenities and infrastructure’ (SERAC, 2006).
The spiralling economic and socio-political activities, with the attendant strains on housing and
living conditions, contributed largely to the upsurge of squatter settlements in the territory. These
settlements are predominantly situated in the city suburbs, otherwise known as satellite towns.
This paper would cover the Labour camp area of Nyanya settlement, because the Labour area
forms the major part of Nyanya settlement and it is centrally located in Nyanya town.

2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Settlements, such as Nyanya, spring up in various part of the country due to certain factors which
could be social, economic, or political in nature. Such settlements may have been planned for, or
most times not planned for. Where they are planned for, it is mostly discovered that the
occupants of these settlements are more than the actual number it was initially designed for. This
leads to the question of adequacy. Looking at adequacy from the perspective of sufficiency in
quality or quantity of space(s) provided to meet the needs of the occupants of a building (Encarta
2007 dictionary), a building may have been designed for a family of four but we discover that
such a building is occupied by a family of eight or more. Analyzing this further, we might be
forced to ask some pertinent questions such as:
(1) Are the rooms provided adequate for the family?
(2) Will the various facilities provided such as; toilets, bathrooms, kitchens etc, serve the
need of the occupants?
(3) Are the areas provided for certain activities adequate?
(4) Is there adequate ventilation in the rooms?
(5) Is the entrance to the home accessible and safe?

Due to the need for a dwelling to be fit for human habitation, this paper would focus only on
housing adequacy dimension of habitability due to their peculiarity in adequate space, physical
security, shelter from weather, and protection from threats to health like structural hazards and
disease (Art.11.1 of the ICESCR for the right to adequate housing).
* ICESCR (The International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).
Fig 1.1 Map of Abuja showing the Population distribution in the Federal Capital Territory
(1991). The map shows the location of major towns in the F.C.T. (Source, Federal Capital
Development Authority)

3.0 CASE STUDY AREA: NYANYA SATELITE TOWN, ABUJA.

3.1 Spatial composition and housing pattern in Nyanya Settlement

The settlement pattern in Nyanya is divided into three parts; (1) The labour camp, (2) Nyanya
village, (3) New Nyanya layout. This research paper is only focusing on the labour camp. The
labour camp was constructed in 1982 and is divided into five areas; area A, B, C, D and E. the
labour camp covers an area of about 360 hectares and it consist mainly of two housing types;

(a) Tenement room (one-room bungalow).

(b) Mini flat (Room and parlour apartment).

Each areas has a combination of the two housing type, which are usually arranged in a
compound-like form which is popularly known as “face me I face you”. The rooms and flats are
arranged in rows forming a block (see fig. 2.1). Each blocks consisting of eight (8) apartments
totaling sixteen (16) altogether. Facilities such as kitchen and toilets are shared in the tenement
room type, while in the mini flats; each household has its kitchen and toilets (also see fig 2.2).

Fig 2.1 Showing the floor layout of the Tenement room (one-room bungalow).

Fig 2.2 Showing the floor layout of the Mini flat (Room and parlour apartment).
4.0 HOUSING ADEQUACY

Adequate food, shelter and clothing are the basics of the hierarchy of human needs. Abraham
Harold Maslow (1943) developed a hierarchy of needs that comprises five levels. Namely (1)
physiological, (2) Safety and Security, (3) Belonging and Social, (4) Esteem and Status, (5) Self
Realisation. Level (1) consists of those things that keep us alive, food, water and shelter. He
stressed that these lower needs must be satisfied before the following higher needs can be
achieved.
Furthermore, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nation in 1948
(cited in article 25), affirms access to adequate housing as a vital part of human rights. This
implies that every human has the right to adequate housing and he/she should not be denied of it.
Housing fulfils the basic human physical need for shelter but also satisfies social requirements. A
house provides a centre for an individual and the basis for family life, emerging as an important
symbol of social standing and aspirations. Thus the fulfilment of housing needs is a complex
process.
It is very important to know what level of housing can be termed adequate. Several definitions of
adequate housing have been put forward. According to ETHOS (European Typology on
Homelessness and Housing Exclusion, 2006), a housing can be said to be inadequate when
people are living in temporary/non-standard structures, when people are living in unfit houses or
when people are living in extreme overcrowding. Gosme (2006) stressed that the definition of
adequacy with regard to housing is influenced by social, economic, cultural, climatic, ecological
and other factors; certain aspects are applicable in any context.

4.1 THE SEVEN DIMENSIONS OF HOUSING ADEQUACY

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights identifies seven components of
adequate housing which are:

1. Legal security of tenure.

2. Availability of services, materials, facilities and infrastructure.
3. Affordability.
4. Habitability.
5. Accessibility.
6. Location.
7. Cultural adequacy.
This is a very comprehensive list of seven (7) dimensions of housing adequacy that could be
used as a basis for analyzing housing adequacy in most part of the world. Each country is
required to have National standards for each of these components and this can be a useful tool
for guaranteeing the application of housing adequacy. Adequacy, in this paper, would be
analyzed using the Habitability dimension.

4.2 The Habitability Dimension

Habitability is the conformance of a residence or abode to the implied standard of adequacy. A

residence that complies is said to be "habitable." It is an implied warranty or contract, meaning it
does not have to be an express contract, covenant, or provision of a contract. It is a common law
right of a tenant’ (Wikipedia, 2008). Habitability is one of the six dimensions of housing
adequacy.

Housing habitability basically relates to:

• The physical condition of the dwelling (structurally, internally and externally).

• The existence of basic household amenities (such as cooking, washing and heating
facilities).
• The condition of the environment surrounding the home.

4.3 Components of Habitability

The essential components of habitability are that the house (and environment where relevant) is
healthy to live in, is energy efficient (takes less energy to build and operate), and is resource
efficient (uses fewer non-renewable resources and makes efficient use of renewable resources).
The term 'habitability' generally refers to how suitable a structure or building is for human
occupation and use. However, there is no specific list of criteria that an environment must satisfy
to be considered habitable. But for the purpose of this research, certain elements have been
identified. And these elements include;

(a) Structure and Materials used for the building.

(b) Accessibility to building.
(c) Space and Security in and around the building.
(d) Interior air quality.
 (e) Access to proper sanitary facilities.
(f) Water Supply.
(g) Illumination and Electricity.
(h) Fire Safety.
(i) Food preparation.

5.0 Data Collection and Statistical Analysis

Data collection was carried out using an interviewer-administered questionnaire; this is intended
to get the views of the occupants that are directly involved with the buildings. These
questionnaires were administered to 60 households in selected area in Nyanya called Area E;
having 16 twin blocks of 256 households. The administration of the questionnaire was carried
out using a random sampling technique. The questionnaire was designed using simple and direct
questions, all forming part of the components of habitability. A yes or no scale was used to
measure residents' level of housing satisfaction, that is, the respondents were required to give a
‘Yes’ or ‘No’ response to most of the questions asked. A bar chart was generated from the
responses gotten from the respondents (fig 3.1.)

From the questionnaires analyzed, it was discovered that the average number of person per
household was calculated to be 5.

5.1 Analysis of Findings

(a) Structure and Materials

About 70% of the households in selected area of Nyanya agreed that the units are structurally
sound, while 30% do not agree. Also, 90% believed that the unit does protect residents from
weather elements. Although from physical inspection, some of the houses sampled are not
structurally sound. This is because they have cracked walls all around the building. And also, the
materials used for the construction of the houses are believed to be of low quality.
(b) Access to Building

Over 74% of the households agreed that the units are accessible and are able to be used without
going through other units, although 26% of the households do not agree to this. While, 74% also
agree that the units have a second ingress incase of fire outbreak. Although several years back,
due to the compacted nature of the housing, it is sometimes difficult to access some building, but
this was reduced during the El-rufai (ex- minister of Abuja) reign in Abuja.

(c) Space and Security

From the study, 70% of the households sampled believed that the spaces provided for the
resident and his belongings are not adequate, while 30% accepted that the spaces are adequate.
About 55% of them believed the occupants do not have an acceptable place to sleep, while 45%
agreed to have an acceptable place to sleep. Although, rooms sizes were about 12-14 sq metres,
which can be said to be adequate for about 2-3 persons. But there are instances where about 5-6
persons occupy such spaces.

(d) Interior Air Quality

About 60% of the selected households agreed that each room does have some form of natural
ventilation, but 40% of the household complained that the rooms do not have adequate
ventilation. Also, a lot of the households sampled agreed that the room interiors are free from
pollutants. Although some blocks enjoy good air flow due to their spacious arrangement while
others that are compacted in arrangement suffer serious air shortages. Also most of the houses
are not cross-ventilated.

(e) Sanitary Facilities

About 60% complained that they do not have access to sanitary facilities that are in proper
operating conditions; most of the sanitary facilities are in bad shape due to long use and lack of
proper maintenance. This sometimes makes occupants to look for alternatives such as easing
themselves in bush and abandoned buildings.

(f) Water Supply

Among the households questioned, about 95% complained that they do not have access to
portable water; they only get water from water sellers. Although, 50% of the households agreed
that the water they get is free from contamination. Generally, water supply to Nyanya settlement
is epileptic, some part of Nyanya town have not had portable water supply for the past 5 years.
(g) Illumination and Electricity

80% of the households sampled complained that the houses do not have adequate natural or
artificial illumination to permit normal indoor activities and support health and safety. Although,
70% of the households agreed they have sufficient electrical sources to permit the safe use of
essential appliances.

(h) Food preparation

About 70% of the selected households complained that the kitchen areas do not contain suitable
spaces and equipments to store, prepare and serve food in a sanitary manner; this is due to the
reason that some of the kitchens provided have been converted into rooms for living, so
occupants resolve into creating attachments which serves as cooking area in the compounds.

(i) Fire Safety

In terms of fire safety, about 60% of the households agreed to have adequate fire exits in case of
fire outbreaks, but 40% of the remaining households do not agree to this. Although from the
layout of the compound, each compounds has 2 exits and each household also has 2 exits.

6.0 CONCLUSION/ RECOMMENDATIONS

From the study conducted, it can be observed that common minimum housing standards are
difficult to achieve due to cultural and social factors such as religion, social status etc. And that
most houses provided for the inhabitants of Nyanya are to a large extent not habitable. The paper
proposes that the Nigeria Government should develop national standards of housing adequacy
starting with fitness for habitation and overcrowding, and eventually other housing standards.
This will allow for better monitoring of housing situation in the country by relevant bodies and
organizations.

Thus, in order to improve future adequacy and habitability of housing, in a sustainable housing
perspective, the Government should promote the creation of a new generation of adaptable
habitat or houses, fine-tuned on ceaseless evolving current conditions of households, which take
in account the profound impregnation of social, demographic and economic trends on each
individuals. Government housing policy should encourage a decent living environment, effective
housing management, and construction of high quality structure types.
REFERENCES
(1) "Abraham Maslow." Microsoft Student 2007 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation,
2006.
(2) ETHOS (European Typology on Homelessness and Housing Exclusion) report, 2006
(3) Gozme, Liz. (2006), ‘Minimum Social Standards Across Europe’; A paper presented to the
European Federation of National Associations working with the Homeless (FEANTSA),
page 3 (http.www.eapn.ie/standards.com). Accessed on 06:16 pm, Thursday 24th January,
2008.
(4) Habitability: (http:www.wikipedia.com). Accessed on 12:56 pm, Tuesday 01th April 2008.
(5) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966); article 11, (Adopted
by the United Nations). Microsoft Student 2007 [DVD]. Microsoft Corporation, 2006.
(6) Onyanta Adama, Governing from Above: Solid Waste Management in Nigeria’s New Capital
City of Abuja. Doctorate Dissertation; Stockholm University, June 2007.pg 56.
(7) Social and Economic Rights Action Centre (SERAC), 2006 Report. Pushing out the Poor:
Forced evictions under the Abuja Master Plan, Abuja.
(http:www.serac.org/Publications/Abuja), accessed on 12:56 pm, Monday 17th December
2008.
(8) The Encarta dictionary, (2007). Microsoft Corporation, 2006.
(9) Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 25 (Adopted by the United Nation in 1948).
Microsoft Student 2007 [DVD]. Microsoft Corporation, 2006.
 FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA
SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTRATION FOR ASSESSING HABITABILITY IN HOUSING

SETTLEMENTS IN NYANYA (HABSIN)
Dear sir/madam
This questionnaire is designed to collect information on the above topic which is meant for academic
exercise only. All information gotten from this questionnaire shall be kept confidential and shall not have
any effect on the respondent. Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.

(1) House Type: ______________ House No. _______________

(2) What is the number of occupants per household? _________ Persons

(PLEASE TICK THE SELECTED OPTION)

Structure and Materials
(1) Is the unit structural habitable? (a) Yes (b) No
(2) Does it protect residents from weather elements? (a) Yes (b) No
Access to Building
(1) Is the unit accessible and able to be used without going through other units?
(a) Yes (b) No
(2) Is there a second means of egress in case of fire? (a) Yes (b) No

Space and Security

(1) Are the spaces adequate for the resident and his/her belongings?
(a) Yes (b) No
(2) Do you the occupant have an acceptable place to sleep? (a) Yes (b) No

Interior Air Quality

(1) Does each room have some form of natural ventilation?
(a) Adequate ventilation (b) Slight ventilation (c) No ventilation
(2) Is the interior spaces air free of pollutants? (a) Yes (b) No

Water Supply
(1) Do you have access to portable water? (a) Yes (b) No
(2) Is the water supply free from contamination? (a) Yes (b) No

Sanitary Facilities
(1) Do you have access to sanitary facilities that are in proper operating conditions?
(a) Yes (b) No

Illumination and Electricity

 (1) Does the house have adequate natural or artificial illumination to permit normal
indoor activities and support health and safety?
(a) Yes (b) No
(2) Are there sufficient electrical sources to permit the safe use of essential electrical
appliances? (a) Yes (b) No

Food Preparation
(1) Do food preparation areas contain suitable space and equipment to store, prepare
and serve food in a sanitary manner? (a) Yes (b) No

Fire Safety
(1) Do you have adequate fire exits in case of fire outbreak?
(a) Yes (b) No