UN promises to enhance healthy habitation for Nigerians

UN promises to enhance healthy habitation for Nigerians
Hauwa Anaja Abu, Abuja

As the world celebrates the World Habitat Day, the United Nations has promised support to all tiers of government in its efforts to enhance healthy habitation for Nigerians.

UN Resident Representative in Nigeria, Mr Daouda Toure, said due to climate change, there was urgent need to improve on the standard of living in urban cities in Nigeria.

Toure was speaking at a ceremony to commemorate World Habitat Day on Monday in Abuja.

The World Habitat Day which is marked on the first Monday of October every year, was shifted to Monday, October 10 because of Nigeria’s 51st Independence celebration which was marked on Monday 3, the first Monday of October 2011.

Mr Toure outlined growing population, industrialisation amongst others as threats to conducive habitation in major urban cities across the World.

In his words:“Experts predict that by the year 2050, global population will have increased by 50 percent from what it was in 1999.”

Cities and climate change

This year’s World Habitat day celebration is focused on the impact of climate change on cities, and preventive strategies.

In a message read by Mr Toure, the UN Secretary-General, Ban ki Moon, said that rising sea levels are major impacts of climate change.
“Sixty people now live within one meter of sea level, but by the end of the century, that number will jump to 130 million.

“Major cities such as; Cairo, New York, Karachi, Calcutta, Belem, New Orleans, Shanghai, Tokyo, Miami, Amsterdam, Lagos, could face serious threats from storm surges,” Ban Ki Moon said.

A scientist, Dr Yinka Adebayo, of the World Meteorological Organisation in Geneva Switzerland said in a lecture that, there was need to promote the use of renewable energy, in order to combat resultant effects of climate change through renewed policies.

The lecture was on “Cities and Climate Change: Impacts, Mitigation and Governance Strategies.”

Adebayo adds that all hands must now be on deck, to ensure that Nigerian cities are not confronted with the impacts of climate change which is being witnessed in other parts of the World.

“Floods, tsunamis, are part of the effects of climate change on cities, which, if urgent housing and town planning reforms don’t begin soon, would wreck huge havoc in Nigeria,” he said.  

Attitudinal Change

The Nigerian Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Amal Pepple, stressed the need for attitudinal change among Nigerians in an effort to make cities habitable.

“Nigerians must begin to have a changed attitude towards maintaining their environment, stop the act of tree falling, ensure drainage maintenance and build on appropriate lands.

“These are simple measures we can take to avert incidents of flooding and other related crises, and make our communities habitable” she said. 

The Minister added that, efforts were being made by government to review housing policies, and provide conducive and affordable accommodation for Nigerians, while charging stakeholders to assist government in its efforts.

“I want to call on all tiers of government and non-governmental stakeholders including the media to enlighten the public on their responsibilities in preserving their environment and assist in our efforts to improve livelihood.

“A good policy framework which involves a review of National Housing and Urban Development policies has evolved, with public, Private Partnership schemes, we have also embarked on proactive urban planning and strategic urban enlightenment to achieve this,” she said.

Mitigation and adaptation strategies

As part of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change, the UN-Under Secretary-General of the UN-HABITAT Mission, Doctor Joan Clos, recommends that prevention should be addressed through better urban planning and building codes.

He said urbanisation offers many opportunities to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies to deal with climate change.

His message which was read by Professor Bade Falade of the UN HAPSO Nigeria, also states that the social, economic, and political actors within cities must become key players in developing these strategies.

Intervention Fund

Presenting a draft of the revised National Housing and Urban Development Policies, Chairman of the review Committee, Mr Fortune Ebie, stressed the need for an intervention fund for housing.

“Housing provides employment, reduces poverty and creates wealth, there’s need for active system implementation,” Ebie said.

He urged government to work with the reviewed policy and translate it to active implementation.

Ms Amal Pepple assured Nigerians of a corporate Housing Finance policy to be launched soon.

“Very soon, we will have housing scheme for market women associations, farmers association, etc.

“That is what we are working to achieve in the next 20-25 years, through cooperative society and mortgage banking,” Pepple said.

 Uche Iheanacho