Habitat for Humanity Nigeria| Contact information | HFH Nigeria
No. 18 Ikeja Close (off Oyo Street)
Area 2
Garki
Abuja
Nigeria
Phone: +234 2343406
Fax: +234 2343411
E-mail: ezeojo@hotmail.com
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Nigeria -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l 1
Why Habitat is needed in Nigeria
With 130 million people, Nigeria is the most heavily populated country in Africa. The country is rich in natural resources, most notably oil. However, very few Nigerians have benefited from the wealth generated by the industry and unemployment and poverty are widespread. Seventy percent of the population lives on less than US$1 a day.
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The First Lady of Nigeria visits Habitat’s build site
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The country has also suffered greatly from a history of political instability. The situation has improved since 1999, when military rule ended and the regime was replaced by a democratically elected government. Nevertheless, ethnic and religious divisions have fuelled continuing violence and unrest.
Many of Nigeria’s poor depend on agriculture for their income. They live in regions with limited access to services, inadequate infrastructure and substandard housing. The country’s large population means that land is at a premium. Pair this with the lack of access to credit and decent housing is beyond the reach of most Nigerians.
Families in rural areas commonly include seven people with only two employed to care for the needs of the children and elder relatives. A typical home is made of mud and wattle with no foundations, cracked walls, leaking thatch roofs and poor ventilation. These homes attract rodents and require constant maintenance and repair.
How Habitat helps
In 2001, Habitat for Humanity established an office in Abuja, and began work in several communities in the middle belt area. Habitat for Humanity Nigeria has built decent housing for families in need through four rural affiliates and one semi-urban project.
Habitat for Humanity Nigeria’s houses include two bedrooms, a living room, washroom, kitchenette, built-in toilet and a separate pit latrine. Houses are constructed with compressed earth blocks, wooden windows and galvanized iron roofing sheets.
Highlights
- Habitat for Humanity Nigeria builds houses in both Christian and Muslim communities. Doing so applies Habitat for Humanity’s principle of selecting families in greatest need, without favoritism or discrimination.
- This policy has the effect of improving relations and breaking down barriers between the two groups.
Facts about Nigeria
Location: West Africa, on the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
Population: 130.2 million
Languages: English, Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo and more than 200 dialects
Climate: Equatorial in the South, tropical in the Center, arid in the North
Religions: Islam, Christianity, indigenous beliefs
Government: Federal Republic
Economy: Main industries include crude oil, petroleum products, cocoa and rubber
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