Prof. Osita Ogbu has called on Nigerian leaders to emulate the social housing legacy that has been created by the former governor of Lagos state and former minister of Works, Alhaji Lateef Jakande.
Prof. Ogbu, who was a Minister of National Planning, and former Chief Economic Advisor to the President of Nigeria, made this call while delivering a speech during the 1st Jakande Housing Lecture Series (JHLS) organised by REDAN in honour of the icon on Thursday in Lagos.
He said that Jakande has left a mark in the Nigeria housing sector that is yet to be matched by anyone. This according to him was unfortunate.
‘’My appeal is to the political and economic elites. When we speak about providing social housing for the low income, we don’t recognize that we are speaking about our community. We are actually talking about giving a stake to our brothers, sisters, cousins etc. We are really speaking about helping ourselves. We are one community. It is this thinking of one community that can enable us as enlightened citizens to shore up our democracy.
‘’Think of a decent shelter as a home, a centre of life where the civilization of human beings begin. It matters because this is where our attitudes, sense of self-worth and identity are shaped and where curiosity and imagination can be nurtured. The overall psychological well-being of a person is tied to his or her environment and the home one grows up in. And this is important for the overall development of our society,’’ he said.
According to him, the absence of a permanent home causes residential instability which leads to psychological instability, community instability, denying the children education and the common bonds and support and creativity, and leads to anxiety and depression among parents.
To ensure affordable housing for the majority poor, Ogbu advocates for a law that will tax the upper class who reside in high value areas, out of which a proportion be devoted to providing affordable housing for the poor.
A law which he recommends be named after Jakande, as a man that pioneered social housing in Nigeria.
He said that Jakande was single minded about pursuing an equitable housing access for all. ‘
’He knew that no one was born unhappy. Happiness knows no tribe nor ethnicity. It is the product of self, interacting with the socio economic reality including housing, political, legal ecosystem one finds himself. The nature of this ecosystem depends on the state, her leadership and the elites.
‘’So as we leave here today, let us promote public housing for the low income groups in the society as Jakande did. Not simply because it is magnanimous but also because it is good for us collectively.
‘’We need a new philanthropy towards social housing and a group of activists devoted to this cause. From the government to politicians, billionaires, the church, real estate association, housing stakeholders, intellectuals and others, we can all join hands to address this major source of inequality in our society. This is the change that must come to this nation, the change that enlightens the tribe for prosperity and the radius of trust. The real change that lasts.
‘’Just remember that the strength of this nation or any nation lies in our pulling everybody up. It is not a sign of weakness to help the weak. We thank the man who has made this conversation possible. May we continue to tap from the wisdom of Pa Jakande for many more years to come,’’ he said.
