Nigeria's largest city Lagos is facing a housing crisis. The BBC's Nancy Kacungira looks at how entrepreneurs are trying to solve the crisis.

Affordable housing is a considerable challenge for urban areas with large populations, and this is particularly prevalent in the Nigeria's city of Lagos.
More than 500,000 people move to the city every year, and there is already a housing deficit of more than 17 million units.

There are on-going projects of varying scale trying to address the shortage; one is reclaiming land from the Atlantic Ocean to build a new city suburb called Eko Atlantic on the shores of Victoria Island.
Tonnes of sand and heavy rock were poured into the ocean to provide 10 sq km (3.8 sq miles) of land for shops, offices and homes.
Protected by an 8km long sea wall, the city will have its own power and water supply, and even an independent road network.
Eko Atlantic will be able to accommodate more than 500,000 people, but the multibillion dollar project has been perceived as being "only for the rich".

Ronald Chagoury Jr, one of the developers, says it is a perception they have been trying to shake off.
"From the beginning we always thought that this would be a city for the middle income.
"We know that the middle income has grown significantly in the past 15 years and we know that it is going to grow even more."


'Living with granny'
Still, some residents of Lagos feel that there are already many housing options - they just cannot afford them.
Properties are pricey and landlords typically require annual, not monthly rent payments.
Banking consultant Abimbola Agbalu tells me that he has to live at his grandmother's house, because renting his own place would be too expensive.
"If I wanted to rent a house where I would prefer in Lagos I would be spending at least 80% of my pay cheque to move in because I would have to pay two years' rent upfront, agency fees and maintenance fees.

"And from then on I would have to spend another 60-70% of my pay cheque every year on rent, which doesn't make sense.
"The problem is not that there are no houses. If you look around, there are empty houses all over Lagos; some can even go a year without being rented out.

"The problem is that people can't afford them. We need better alternatives."
Refurbishing shipping containers
One Nigerian company is thinking inside the box in order to provide a cheaper housing option - by making homes out of cargo containers .

Dele Ijaiya-Oladipo says he co-founded Tempo Housing Nigeria to provide a creative solution in a city that desperately needs low-cost housing.
"The only way we can get the housing deficit sorted is by providing good quality houses at affordable rates.
"You can't build a million homes at a price that no-one will ever afford - that doesn't achieve anything."
Mr Ijaiya-Oladipo's container homes are 25% cheaper than traditional housing, and can be built in as little as two weeks.
"But the concept is still foreign to many Nigerians; so most of his clients tend to use the containers to build office spaces, not homes," he says.

"Until a potential client actually sees our past work, they can't really picture how a shipping container can be used as a finished house or office.

"We have to encourage people to visit our office which is made out of containers, so they can see what we are talking about."

From a self-sustaining city to refurbished-shipping containers, private sector real-estate developers are offering both big and small solutions - and Lagos needs them all.
The city is Africa's largest, and its population is expected to [b]double by 2050; [/b]putting even more pressure on already limited housing options.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38688796

Wow....

Las-gidi

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that sound telemundoish

.

Great!

You can't build a million homes at a price that no-one will ever afford - that doesn't achieve anything."
Mr Ijaiya-Oladipo's container homes are 25% cheaper than traditional housing, and can be built in as little as two weeks.


True. nice concept but the container houses will still need space where you can drop them.
So how do you go about that challenge

Buhari has taken the recession to the red side of London.

Imagine renting a room self contained in an estate in ajah for 350k including agent and agreement. Something needs to be done abt Lagos rent

hunger in the land

No ports, no lagos

But which land dem go mount this containers,when you tell babe you dey live inside container,I dey imagine how her reaction go be,igbo girls go jump ontop your preek that's for sure.

[Na wa for u

quote author=veekid post=53052605]

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that sound telemundoish [/quote]

Eko Atlantic for middle income earners

What exactly defines middle income again?

justscorchone:
But which land dem go mount this containers,when you tell babe you dey live inside container,I dey imagine how her reaction go be,igbo girls go jump ontop your preek that's for sure.

Igbo girls won't even follow u home

justscorchone:
But which land dem go mount this containers,when you tell babe you dey live inside container,I dey imagine how her reaction go be,igbo girls go jump ontop your preek that's for sure.

Lol. Igbo girls no go even follow u reach the area.

Lagos ... lagos

Ok

Most Yolobas i know are squatting with their grandparents in the crowded neighbourhoods of lagos.

Nice 1

AnambraDota:
Most Yolobas i know are squatting with their grandparents in the crowded neighbourhoods of lagos.

Who doesn't know that what you just said is what Yeigboss are known For in Lagos, quatting ?
Or how do you think emaka that came to Lagos to hustle without a place to stay survives ?
They deceive ya self!

AnambraDota :
Most Yolobas i know are squatting with their grandparents in the crowded neighbourhoods of lagos.

You mean am? My friend chukwudi enter lagos early last year as e see say lasgidi sweet..he call Ebuka,chigozie,Chukwuma,Chukwujekwu,Gift,ikechukwu all come join am for him for the Single room apartment for Owode Elede..Maka Why?

smogup:
Buhari has taken the recession to the red side of London.

That one you are seeing is it not serving the purpose?

OK

What's the definition of middle income, again Eko Atlantic for middle income earners? Issokay.

Igbos. Opportunists. Flooding Lagos every day like refugees. Go to okota/ Ago, Iyana iba, mile 2, you'll see them flocked in one like hopeless sheep. Backward clan.

YTderin:
What's the definition of middle income, again Eko Atlantic for middle income earners? Issokay.

Don't mind that ignorant reporter. Eko Atlantic where flats go for excess of $ 1 million USD is meant for the middle-income, going by their twisted ideology. They think that they are talking to f00ls.