USERS’ PERCEPTION TO HOUSING UNITS PROVIDED IN ABUJA RESETTLEMENT HOUSING SCHEME, NIGERIA

Abstract

The decision by the then Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Mohammed to relocate Nigeria’s capital from Lagos to Abuja brought about the relocation of the original inhabitants of the area. Gbagyi people are among the inhabitants of Abuja who were also affected by the relocation. The Federal Government of Nigeria decided to provide resettlement housing schemes for the inhabitants located at Ushafa, Kubwa, Apo, Dei-Dei areas of FCT. The recent housing schemes yet to be occupied are the Galuwyi/Shere resettlement schemes. The resettlement housing schemes in Ushafa, Kubwa, Apo and Dei-Dei were rejected by the occupants who were mostly Gbagyi inhabitants. This was largely due to the fact that the resettlement schemes failed to achieve its cardinal objectives of providing culturally suitable housing and sustainable alternative means of livelihood for the resettled communities, which were substantially Gbagyi people. The inhabitants of the FCT were not consulted before the policy of resettlement was evolved. They were only advised to discontinue any major development until such a time a definite resettlement policy was evolved and steps taken to implement it.