Despite the over twenty-two million housing deficit in Nigeria, the United Nations(UN) Human Rights Special Procedures on Monday, condemned the increase of luxury housing in cities,
through the forced eviction of poor communities.
The UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Ms Leilani Farha made the disclosure while
presenting her preliminary findings on adequate housing at the end of a 10-day long fact-
finding visit to journalists in Abuja.
She noted that these city houses still do not fulfill any housing needs as a majority of them
remain vacant.
While advocating the introduction of vacant home taxes, she lamented the inhumane living
conditions in Nigeria’s informal settlements, which according to her, houses 69 per cent of the 4 urban population. Farha urged the government to address the grossly inadequate housing
conditions.
Also, she recommended the establishment of a national commission to investigate gross
human rights violations in the context of forced evictions and also provide basic services to all
informal settlements. She further urged the government to revise the Land Use Act, noting
that the right to housing must be recognized in national law as a fundamental right that can be claimed.
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