Bauchi Faces Housing Crisis with Thousands of Vacant Government Houses

Residents of Bauchi State hold dwindling hopes of securing affordable homes for their families, as the government continues to withhold thousands of finished housing units intended for low and middle-income earners, including civil servants.

The lack of transparency regarding the acquisition process for these properties has compounded the frustrations of prospective buyers, who can only watch as some houses, completed over ten years ago, fall into disrepair.

Amidst rising accommodation demands in Bauchi, especially in the capital, the state’s housing situation reflects Nigeria's ongoing crisis, with an estimated shortfall ranging from 15 to 25 million units, and a financing gap exceeding N21 trillion.

The mortgage industry also reveals Nigeria's struggles, with less than 1% of GDP attributed to mortgage penetration, in contrast to over 30% in countries like South Africa and up to 80% in developed nations. This leaves countless Nigerians without access to formal housing financing.

Weekend Trust's investigation has uncovered that at least four sets of approximately 6,000 housing units in Bauchi are either completed yet unoccupied or abandoned partway through construction, with many sites overtaken by overgrowth and wildlife.

Among the housing schemes is the 1,000-unit Unity Estate along Jos Road, alongside the 1,000 Isa Yuguda units at Hakan-Yafi, the Federal Government’s 1,000 housing units on Ningi-Kano Road, and 2,500 units erected by Governor Bala Mohammed across several emirates, including Katagum, Jama’are, and Misau.

It has been revealed that construction on the Unity Estate began in 2007 but was suspended, leaving many units finished while others remain incomplete, with some residents having previously occupied completed portions out of frustration from waiting for official allocation. Unfortunately, many of these buildings are now susceptible to vandalism and deterioration.

The second housing project of 1,000 units, completed under former Governor Isa Yuguda, has reportedly remained unallocated for several years, with persistent issues of abandonment and criminal activities within the structures. An anonymous source from the Bauchi State Ministry of Housing disclosed that the change of government has stalled allocations.

Meanwhile, the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration initiated another 1,000-unit project in 2016, of which only 270 units were ultimately completed. However, legal disputes have arisen as some residents allege that these units were wrongly sold to the Nigerian Air Force, with ongoing legal battles reflecting the contentiousness surrounding housing allocation.

Governor Bala Mohammed's current administration began the largest project, comprising 2,500 units initiated in March 2020, targeted at low-income earners with an estimated budget of N12 billion. Although 1,500 units have been finished, they remain unoccupied, suffering from neglect, vandalism, and natural wear.

A visit to the sites indicates that many completed structures have now decayed due to weather damage and vandalism, with the situation across Bauchi's various emirates showing a similar disregard for housing needs.

The National Bureau of Statistics highlights a grim picture, with over half of Nigeria’s more than 200 million people existing as multi-dimensionally poor, lacking basic services, including housing. The UN-Habitat report from 2017 estimated that 69% of urban residents in Nigeria live in slums, emphasizing the urgent need for affordable housing solutions.

State officials, when approached, acknowledge the significant amount of taxpayer money spent so far, but attribute the delays in allocation to the incomplete status of infrastructure connected to these housing schemes. In light of the multifaceted issues reported by residents who advocate for faster allocations, there remains a growing demand for immediate action to tackle the housing challenges in Bauchi.