Jolaoso Et Al 2012 National Housing Trust Fund and Low Income Housing Delivery in Nigeria A Discourse
Jolaoso Et Al 2012 National Housing Trust Fund and Low Income Housing Delivery in Nigeria A Discourse
system have also affected mortgage financing in conditions for accessing credit facility for home-
Nigeria. acquisition/housing delivery from Financial
Institutions and to ascertain low income workers’
Thus, Nigerian banks have adjusted their respective affordability of credit or Loan facility based on one-
interest rates against the financial crisis while the third of Average Basic Monthly Income- Monthly
Central Bank of Nigeria has in turn adopted new Repayment Plan
policies for the Nigerian financial system as a result
of the crisis. However, Kolapo and Amaefule (2009) SCOPE OF STUDY
and Spio-Garbrah (2009) are of the view that such The study is limited to low income workers in the
policies may further create impediments to accessing civil/public service or in the self-employment whose
credit for home acquisition and/or development by source(s) of income is /are salary or wage oriented,
prospective home owners. The likely impediments with the view to ascertaining or otherwise whether
identified included liquidity problems and the monthly/annual incomes can guarantee credit for home
emergence of shadow banking. What had become acquisition or can conveniently pay off loans or credit
obvious is that the goal of the National Housing facilities for home ownership/acquisition on one-third
Policy of 1991 at ensuring that all Nigerians own or of Average Basic Monthly Income- Repayment Plan.
have access to decent, safe and healthy housing The prevailing pre-conditions for accessing credit/loan
accommodation at affordable cost or price has not facility from NHTF and PFIs through mortgage; as
been achieved. Perhaps, that was why Agbola (2005) well as the affordability table on the NHTF Loan
states that there exists a yawning chasm between the amount at six (6) percent interest rate as obtained from
magnitude of demand and the capacity of supply. the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (2008) were put
This gap had resulted to individuals resorting into into consideration. Workers income is established
self-help approach. The self-help approach had been from the subsisting Consolidated Public Service Salary
aided by personal equity/cooperative formations or Structure (CONPSS), by Ministries, Departments and
whole/ part subsidy by employers of labour through Agencies in Nigeria.
loans or mortgage financing that is backed by
securities and/or cooperative mechanism. Low Definition of Terms
income/wages, high lending rates, tax requirements, Income implies the wages or monetary
difficulties in land administration and mortgage rewards/benefits in cash and/ or in kind realizable in
transactions etc have been identified as the greatest exchange of goods and services and/or trading,
impediments to credits/loan facility and that drift to businesses etc. Low-income earners are group of
the peri-urban areas are most of the time driven by persons who averagely earn relatively small amount
lack of adequate fund to compete in main urban of money and/or kind as reward for their respective
centres with all its implications for other supporting labour. Low-income group according to the National
facilities or lack of them. This forms the basis for the housing policy of 2002 are all employees or self
research problem, taking into consideration, the employed persons whose annual income as at the
conditions for accessing NHTF, year 2001 is N100, 000 or below (i.e. the equivalent
contributor’s/participant’s affordability of credit or of salary grade level 01-06 in Government
Loan facility based on one-third of Average Basic employment). In this context, Low income earners
Monthly Income- Monthly Repayment Plan at a also include individuals (in civil/public and private
maximum tenor of 30 years. It is against this employment services or self-employed) whose
backdrop that the paper tries to examine the monthly/annual incomes cannot guarantee credit for
challenges of accessing the National Housing Trust home acquisition or whose monthly or annual income
Fund for low income housing delivery in Nigeria. cannot conveniently pay off loans credit facilities for
home ownership/acquisition. Housing delivery
RESEARCH QUESTIONS involves the production of new houses, renovation of
The research questions are: existing ones and the distribution of new and old
houses to all consumers. Its components include land
Is the National Housing Trust Fund through FMBN and infrastructures, construction technology, labour
accessible for low income housing delivery in and management, building materials, housing
Nigeria? finance, distribution methods and monitoring
evaluation. National Housing Trust Fund is a
Is the average monthly income a hindrance to dedicated fund for housing finance established by the
accessing the available credit facility for low income Federal Government of Nigeria as one of the key
home-ownership? strategies towards the realisation of the goals of the
National Housing Policies of 1991, 2001 & 2006. It
AIM & OBJECTIVES started as contributory fund (NHF) established by
The aim of this paper is to appraise the challenges of decree 3, 1992 with Nigerian workers, banks,
accessing credit facility for low-income housing registered insurance companies and federal
delivery in Nigeria. The objectives are to appraise the government of Nigeria as contributors. It later
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Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences (JETEMS) 3(5):429-438 (ISSN:2141-7024)
metamorphosed into NHTF sometime in 2005, due to income households, where the ‘sequential housing’
labour union agitation arising from their inability to development approach is adopted, which is based on
benefit from their respective contributions into the affordability rather than need and provision of other
fund. The fund further made it mandatory for certain supporting facilities. It is a system of building
categories of workers to contribute certain percentage construction from micro to macro, subject to a time
of their respective monthly income into the fund lag. Hence, the construction of housing structure
before they could benefit therefrom as participants to through component parts or sub-units, which are
enable them build, buy, or improve or renovate their often time dictated by available and affordable
houses. The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria financial resources rather than the need (Jolaoso,
(FMBN) is the financial institution established by Odebiyi, Musa 2008). Emeka (2010), reports that
Decree 7 of 1977, with a take-of capital of about ₦20 Nigeria requires about 15 trillion naira to solve its
million, which was later increased to ₦150 million in housing deficit estimated at 16 million units and
1979 and supported by the World Bank to attain a noted that relying on the contributions from the
capital of about ₦600 million. This led to the NHTF would be counter-productive as there are
construction of housing units in about eight States of about 40 million applications for mortgage from
the Federation of Nigeria during the 4th National qualified Nigerians with about 2 billion naira
Development Programme (1980-85). It is the monthly proceeds from NHTF. This suggests that the
custodian of NHTF and the highest financial available fund from the NHTF is inadequate to meet
authority charged with the responsibility of licensing, up with the subsisting mass housing demand
regulating and supervising PMIs especially for the low income group. The inability of
(commercial/merchant banks, insurance, housing employers and/or collecting agencies to appropriately
corporation, property development companies, etc) in and timely remit (check-off dues from salary)
Nigeria. It invests in and provides financial and contributions into the NHTF must have also
technical assistance for the production of building contributed to the fund inadequacy. Dung-Gwom and
materials aimed at improving the overall Mallo (2008) also identify low income/wages, high
performances in the housing sector. Sources of lending rates, tax requirements, difficulties in land
funding the NHTF include the Nigerian workers, administration and mortgage transactions etc as the
banks, registered insurance companies, and the greatest impediments to accessing credits/loan
Federal Government of Nigeria. facility. Erguden (2001) noted that poor promotion of
security of tenure, inadequate infrastructures and
LITERATURE REVIEW housing finance systems, inadequate participation of
Housing development is a vital economic activity, communities in shelter development process and
which provides substantial employment opportunities support to self-help and lack of effective
and one of the parameters for measuring the implementation strategies are some of the constraints
standard/quality of life, the level of technological to achieving effective low income housing delivery in
advancement, culture and civilization within an developing countries like Nigeria. He further revealed
environment. Provision of affordable housing for the that the difficulty in having access to housing
citizenry has remained the principal focus of every development elements like land, building materials,
successive government in Nigeria. This is because of credit facilities have resulted in proliferation of
the pivotal roles played by housing in national informal settlements. These unsolved housing
development and growth on one hand and its being a problems in most cases have prompted the poor urban
necessity in the life of the people, on the other. dwellers to drift into the available low cost, low
Omojinmi (2000: in Adedeji, 2005) observed that access or marginal land in the peri-urban areas
people who sleep outside the houses in the urban compared to what is obtainable at the inner city or
centres of Nigeria, out-number those that sleep inside urban centres. Low-income groups in the developing
the houses. Arayela (2002) also asserted that there is countries tend to build their houses incrementally
inadequate housing stock to cope with the ever- according to available financial possibilities, opting
increasing population and the available housing for relatively small amounts with a maximum of 5
facilities in Nigeria. Ajanlekoko (2001) reported that years (Smets, 2005).
in Nigeria, housing is typically financed through a
number of institutional sources: Budgetary Housing represents not only the largest non-food
appropriations, Commercial/Merchant Banks, household expenditure, but also the most valuable
Insurance Companies, State Housing Corporations and main capital asset possessed by most low income
and the FMBN. He further noted that the impact of households (Datta and Jones, 1999; Ferguson and
informal institutions such as thrift and credit Haider, 2000). A common belief is that one solution
societies, and money lenders be properly quantified to poor housing is to increase the amount of income
because they are largely uncoordinated, scattered and available to low income households. By so doing, it
varied in scope and operational depth. This might is expected that the means by which the poor are able
have given rise to many informal residential /housing to build more and better quality housing would be
development activities largely embraced by the low- improved (Datta and Jones, 1999). Therefore,
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Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences (JETEMS) 3(5):429-438 (ISSN:2141-7024)
preceding application), current tax clearance principle that the tenor of repayment of credit/loan
certificate and Board Resolution supporting loan facility as 20 years but in reality are usually less than
application; Fidelity Bond, Errors and Omission 20 years. Central Bank of Nigeria’s report (2009),
Insurance Policy; while in case of individual reflects that the ratio of banks to people in urban area
application, he/she is expected to complete and is 1:33,000 while for rural area it is 1:57,000, and that
submit the standard PMIs Application Form for NHF about 35% of Nigerians have access to banks while
loan alongside with current tax clearance certificate, 65% do not have access to it and are the poor/low
evidence of contribution into the fund is/are required income earners. This of course, will constitute a great
by individual applicants. Fulfilling these conditions limitation/impediment to accessing credit/loan
qualifies Contributors access to credit/loan facility facility for home-acquisition in Nigeria. These
and to enable beneficiary build, buy, or renovate limitations/impediments include the contributor’s
his/her house. The prevailing credit/loan ceiling requirement to provide evidence of land ownership in
facility for a contributor is ₦5million. The fund the form of certificate of ownership/title in which its
(NHTF) provides access to similar facility to Estate procedure is very cumbersome and takes a long
developers, housing corporations and the Federal period of time to secure. It involves too many levies,
Housing Authority (FHA) for housing development taxes and fees for securing title, governor’s consents
or building houses at affordable target price not and development permit. The Nigeria Land Use
exceeding ₦5million for sale to contributors through Decree/Act (LUD) which was promulgated in March
the Private Mortgage Institutions. Such credit/loan 1978 provides that, all land were brought under the
facility is granted on the basis of the contributor’s control of the State government and the rural land
ability to pay off within his/her 30 percent of his/her being controlled by the Local government. Its
average monthly income and repayment plan of a provision and its implementation appeared to have
maximum 30years tenor. mopped out available pieces of land that could be
used for other developments like houses for the
Ozili (2009) posits that the NHTF is inadequate in masses by the people themselves. This policy action
meeting up with the housing needs of its contributors. was expected to enhance the transformation of the
He further notes that the pre-conditions earlier stated Nation’s property rights from a mixed private
for accessing loans are not affordable to the low property rights to a collectivist framework (Iwarere
income group and the poor. This however led to the 1994; Arimah 1997).
emergence of Private Financial Institutions providing
mortgage credit/loan facility to prospective home- Iwarere & Megbolugbe (2008 p.205) posits that the
owners and property developers. These Private contractual process precipitated by the re-assignment
Financial Institutions undertake savings and loans of property rights inherent in the leasehold estate to
activities as well as, finance construction project, replace the freehold becomes more tedious and
property brokerage and Local Purchase Order adversarial; that the property rights regime ushered in
financing. by the Landuse Decree/Act is less efficient and does
not promote growth and conclude that the issue of
Ibuoye (2009) observes that the Private Financial land registration in the emerging economies have
Institutions often generate a net return of between 20 negatively affected the willingness of the supplier of
– 25% annually and are mostly conglomerates of housing finance to provide funds for housing
commercial banks in Nigeria servings as channel for acquisitions. Hence, in consideration of proper
National Housing Trust Fund contributors. A survey banking procedures, funds are not disbursed to
of conditions for accessing credit for home borrowers until all lending conditions are met.
acquisition was carried out by Dung-Gwom, et al Therefore, applications for funds to acquire houses
(2009) on five Private Financial Institutions reveals are kept in abeyance until the land registration
that identified conditions attached to accessing credit procedures are completed and the documentations
for home acquisition by private financial institutions submitted to the suppliers of housing finance, while
indicated denial of low income earners access to the cost of building kept rising. The implication is
credit/loan facility; that there are instances where that, where the funds are available, they are
employers have refused to guarantee employees for inadequate for the extant market price. This have in
loan even when they have satisfied other turn contributed to the impediments and as such,
requirements; That the provision of 2.5% down needs to be reviewed because it has not achieved its
payment presents a great challenge to low income aim of equitable distribution of land.
earners who often finds it difficult to raise; and the
Interest rates charged by private financial institutions RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
are on the higher side. Consequently, cost of loan The methodology involves the collection of data from
became very high. primary sources, relevant published and unpublished
materials as well as sundry information. The study
Dung-Gwom, et al (2009) further revealed that the was complimented with reconnaissance survey on
private financial institutions have always stated in some selected housing units development in
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Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences (JETEMS) 3(5):429-438 (ISSN:2141-7024)
Abeokuta, Ibadan and Jos metropolises on building prevailing pre-conditions for accessing credit/loan
types and their respective relative cost of facility from National Housing Trust Fund and
construction. The study is limited to workers in the Private Financial Institutions through mortgage and
civil/public service or in the self-employment whose the affordability table on the National Housing Fund
source of income is salary or wage oriented. (NHF) Loan were used to ascertain workers’
Workers’ income was established from the subsisting eligibility or otherwise to access credit/loan facility.
Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure The information gathered is reviewed, discussed and
(CONPSS) in use by Ministries, Departments and descriptively presented.
Agencies in Nigeria. The Average Basic Monthly
Income- Repayment Plan and with respect to the
Table 3: Determination Of Workers Affordability And Eligibiltiy For Loan Monthly Repayment Plan And
Average Cost Of House Type
House Types Number Of Years Required For The Repayment On The Basis Of 1/3 Average Basic Monthly Income/Salary
& Loan Vis-A-Vis Grade Levels, Anticipated New Minimum Monthly Wage Of ₦18,000.00 Bench Mark Or 300%
Amount Increase Across Board And At The Required 6% Interest/Annum
Required
(₦) 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 12 13 14 15 16 17
grade level
Maximum of 27 26 25 23 21 16 12 10 8 7 6 6 5 5 4 3
2 0 million
Maximum of 41 39 37 34 32 25 18 15 12 11 9 8 8 7 6 5
3 0 million
Maximum of 55 52 49 46 42 33 25 19 16 14 12 11 10 10 9 8
4 0 million
Maximum of 69 65 62 58 53 41 30 24 21 18 15 14 13 12 11 10
5 0 million
Source: Author’s Computation applying anticipated
increase in Average Basic Monthly Income
credit/loan facility. It reveals that all workers on
Table 3 considered and applied anticipated increase grade levels 01 -17 would be able to afford and be
in Average Basic Monthly Income of workers (at eligible to access the NHTF credit/loan facility up to
minimum bench mark of ₦18,000.00 or 300% wage- the tune of ₦ 2.0 million and that workers on grade
increase across board) with a maximum tenor of levels 07 -17 could afford and are eligible to access
repayment at 30 years in determining their up to a maximum of ₦ 5.0 million credit/loan facility;
affordability and eligibility for accessing NHTF while workers on grade level 06- 07 could still afford
and be eligible to access up to a maximum of ₦ 3.0
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Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences (JETEMS) 3(5):429-438 (ISSN:2141-7024)
million credit/loan facility through the NHTF. The - 4.0 million credit/loan facility for one-bedroom
table ordinarily assumed that participating workers on to three bedroom bungalow and that only the
each level are at their first year of employment. But workers on grade level 17 can afford and are
considering change in status (i.e. rise from one level eligible to access up to a maximum of ₦ 5.0
to another, like GL.06 – 12 or 14) by promotion or million credit/loan facility through the NHTF for
appointment or any other similar adjustment vis-a-vis home-ownership and within the allowable tenor of
length of service, it implies that the determination of repayment plan (i.e. one-bedroom to four
contributors’ affordability and eligibility to access bedroom bungalow) depending on the finishing
NHTF credit facility will also depend on their taste.
respective years-left- in- service or in active Most of the contributors lack capacity to afford
employment, which must not less than twenty years. loan amount that can acquire houses for
themselves as a result of the subsisting low
FINDINGS income, but with wage increase by about 300%
The summary of findings is as follows: (i.e. ₦18,000.00 as minimum monthly
That contributors must be gainfully employed wage/income) as illustrated in table 3, all
and/or have a reasonable means of regular categories of workers (G.L. 01 -17) would be able
income. He/she must have contributed for a to afford and be eligible to access the NHTF
minimum period of six (6) months into a credit/loan facility up to a minimum of ₦ 2.0
designated bank account and must have not less million (an equivalent of average cost of one-
than a period twenty years left in service (if bedroom bungalow) through the NHTF.
employed), irrespective of their entry, rise and And that housing deficits especially for the low
current salary grade level; and/or 2.5% down income earner keeps increasing and that self-help
payment of the total value of credit/loan required. approach might have instigated the establishment
Contributors in public and organised private of National Housing Trust Fund
sectors must domicile their salary account with for low income housing delivery in Nigeria.
the designated banks providing fund to the PMIs,
while their respective employers would suffice as RECOMMENDATIONS
guarantor(s). Based on the findings stated above there is need for
That contributors must provide evidence of upward review of salaries for workers (especially the
possession of valid title to land (Certificate of low income earners) to enhance contributors’
Occupancy) and/or the building acquired with the affordability and eligibility status in order to facilitate
loan as collateral security and that affordability their access to credit/loan facility for home
and eligibility of the contributors’ access to NHTF acquisition/ownership through NHTF or mortgage.
for home-acquisition is determined on a Group acquisition, ownership and documentation of
repayment plan and a maximum tenor of thirty land by employers or cooperative societies for and on
years based on the contributors’ 1/3 average basic behalf of individual members of such formations
monthly income and at 6% interest/annum. need to be encouraged by the government apart from
That accessing credit/loan facility for home the need to review the landuse act such that the
acquisition by low income earners directly from process of registering land titles, obtaining
Private Mortgage Institutions whose source of governor’s consent etc are not cumbersome but made
funding comes from commercial banks is faster and less burdened with taxes, levies and fees.
expensive due to low savings rate, rising interest The Government needs to provide a regulatory
and inflation rates. Consequently, an average mechanism on lending rates that is pro-poor or low
investor would rather prefer to invest in the income earner-friendly. Cooperative formations for
informal sector, where return on investment self-help contribution, in which Jolaoso, Odebiyi and
would be above the inflation. Musa (2008a) had noted to be viable sources of
The number of potential home-owners or mobilising substantial capital for financing low
applicants for accessing NHTF credit/loan facility income housing delivery as an informal financial
is more than investible funds available for housing mechanism should be integrated into the formal
finance supply. sector under the supervision of the mortgage
Workers on grade levels 01 -07 (low income institutions. It is also recommended that the emerging
group) can neither afford nor be eligible to access sequential housing development approach be further
the NHTF credit/loan facility for even the least of encouraged for mobilising funds and construction of
the house types (i.e. one-bedroom bungalow); house units at affordable cost without jeopardising
while workers on grade levels 08 -09 can only quality and safety. This of course must be carried out
afford and are eligible to access a maximum of ₦ in collaboration with relevant professional bodies,
2.0 million credit/loan facility for only one- construction development banks and Private
bedroom bungalow; Mortgage Institutions in an inclusive manner and as
Most senior workers on grade levels 10 and above an investor-guided development that could include
can afford and are eligible to access between ₦2.0
435
Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences (JETEMS) 3(5):429-438 (ISSN:2141-7024)
the investment of the pensions fund in housing Asaju, A.S (1991). The Impact of Government
delivery on a long-term lending basis. Policies on the Private Rented Housing Sector in
Nigeria- A Review of the State of Art. Journal of
CONCLUSION Estate Management Students Association O.A.U, Ile
The paper noted there has been a rise in the housing Ife, Nigeria. p.43
deficit and identified low income, low savings rate,
high interest and inflation rates as factors delimiting Central Bank of Nigeria (2009). Global Financial and
low income earners’ access to the NHTF for home- Economic Crisis: How Vulnerable is Nigeria? Central
acquisition/ownership. It also reveals that there are Bank of Nigeria.
more applications from eligible contributors over and
above the investible funds available for housing http://www.cenbank.org/OUT/SPEECHES/2009/GO
finance supply. Most contributors lack capacity or VADD-21-1-09.PDF retrieved 24/03/2009
chance to access credit/loan facility for home
acquisition. The paper therefore concludes that the Datta, K. and Jones, G. (eds.1999) Housing Finance
National Housing Trust Fund through FMBN is not in Developing Countries, Routledge, London.
easily accessible for low income housing delivery in
Nigeria due to the subsisting low average monthly Dung-Gwom, J.Y & Mallo, D. M., (2008). An
income. It is hoped that the enunciated Appraisal of the Challenges of Accessing Credit for
recommendations, if and when adopted as Home Acquisition by Low-income Earners in
complimentary strategy will encourage more Nigeria. Proceedings of the XXXVI IAHS World
participation, stimulate more contribution and Congress on Housing Science, Kolkata India.
improve upon fund mobilisation that will in turn www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_129707_en.pdf
enhance low income earners’ access to NHTF
credit/loan facility for home acquisition or ownership Emeka, E (2010). Vision 2020: Nigeria needs ₦15
and low income housing delivery. trillion to Finance Mass Housing Policy. The Sunday
Punch Newspaper. Lagos. December 19, 2010. P.60
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