Problems and Solutions of Property Management in Nigeria
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The study will examine the problems of property management and proffer solutions for rectifying these problems.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
Residential building has been universally accepted as the second most important essential human need after food. Housing in all its ramifications is more than mere shelter since it embraces all the social services and utilities that go to make a community or neighborhood liveable environment. Efficient housing design is becoming increasingly imperative in Nigerian urban centres; this is because housing is an essential and fundamental component of the overall land use activities in both rural and urban centres. Besides it has a tremendous positive influence on the health, safety and welfare (economic and social) of residents of any community. Residential land use is the largest single land use in any community and a larger proportion of land is usually devoted to it. However, the desire to own houses has eluded the bulk of the Nigerian population in the urban centers. This can be attributed to a number of reasons like poor economic situation in the country, rising cost of building materials, explosive increase in urban population and absence of effective housing policy. Landed property ownership is regarded as a great success and achievement; and this mentality has great influence on landed property itself. After the construction of buildings, most property owners tend not to care for it again as all that matters to them is that they have a property which they can call their own. This is because most Nigerians lack maintenance culture. However, the effective management of properties is very important, due to its nature and the capital involved in its construction. Properly managed properties will not only maximize the income realized from the property where the property is built for investment purpose, but will also ensure that the property is in a good physical and structural state for it to continue performing the purpose for which it was built.
Though the countries of the world differ greatly in their levels of industrial and social development and the nature of their economic and political systems, the importance of housing and its related facilities as vital elements in determining the standard of living and as integral parts of the development process and the need for government to take a major share of responsibility for improving the level at which they are provided and generally recognized. Property management is the management of existing structures erected on land with the aim of securing the optimum return which need not always be financial but may be in terms of social benefit, status e.t.c. It is also the general administration of landed property on behalf of the owners usually known as the clients by the property manager. Management of residential properties, not only covers rent collection, repairs and maintenance but also other aspects of good management. The importance of management of residential properties has become so technical that the knowledge and services of competent property managers are required to perform the task.
THE NATURE OF NIGERIA’S HOUSING PROBLEMS
Housing challenges and issues has been generally accepted as being diverse and complex. Within the spectrum of this problem, one can identify both quantitative and qualitative deficiencies. identified the major housing problems in Nigeria as that of instability of human needs for housing. This problem is worldwide and it is of a recurring nature. In fact it is doubtful if any nation of the world can satisfactorily meet its housing requirements.
In Nigeria, most people live in poor quality housing and in unsanitary environments. This problem of inadequate housing has been compounded by the rapid rates of urbanization and economic growth. Housing difficulties is more serious for the low income groups where problems have been complicated by rapid growth, inflated real estate values, speculative activity, and influx of poor immigrants and lack of planning. One can also site the increasingly significant shifts in the form and design of housing from the rooming form to flat and single family house forms as a factor responsible for acute shortage of housing for the low income groups.
Many reknowned scholars of urban science (castells, Burgess, Hall, Turner, Abu-Lughod, Mabogunje and so on) as well as distinguished regional and international organization (United Nations Habitat, World Society of Ekistics, the World Bank etc.) concerned with urbanisation and housing at global levels, have long expressed immense anxieties over the alarming nature and dimensions of the housing problems in the nations of the developing world. Highly recognized among the most crucial corollaries of unplanned and dependent urbanisation is the urban housing crisis pervading the primary and large regional secondary cities of the fast and medium developing categories of the third world nations (Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo, Mexico City, Cairo, New Delhi, Karachi etc.). This crisis situation in its integrated form has surpassed the terrains of the social sphere, reproducing itself in the economic, political and environmental processes of these nations of the third world, Nigeria not an exemption.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out to examine the problems of property management and its solutions in Nigeria. selected property in Abuja metropolis form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF DATA AND ANALYSIS
In presenting results of the questionnaire survey, the paper examined, at the first instance, the socio- economic characteristics of the respondents. The second part relates to analysis of the degree of preparedness of estate surveyors for sustainable property management profession in Nigeria.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
A major conclusion from this study is that in spite of their academic attainment, Nigerian real estate professionals are not fully prepared for the practice of sustainable property management. The implication of this conclusion is that acquisition of requisite knowledge and training should be seen as very crucial in policies on sustainable development. This requires the overhauling of the curricula of studies on Estate Management in the Universities and polytechnics to incorporate contemporary studies on environmental sustainability and preservation. This should be followed up with continuous development training for practitioners as a means of putting them on tack with contemporary practice. There is also the need for the enactment of necessary supporting laws and legislation that will serve as appropriate framework for the development of sustainable property management practice in Nigeria.
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