EFFECT OF RISING COST OF BUILDING MATERIALS ON HOUSING PROVISION (A CASE STUDY OF ZARIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF KADUNA STATE)

ABSTRACT This study determined Effect of Rising Cost of Building Materials on Housing Provision (A Case Study of Zaria Local Government of Kaduna State). Four research questions and four objectives guided the conduct of the study. The research adopted descriptive survey research design using case study strategy. The population of the study included 10 estate surveyors and valuers in Zaria Local Government of Kaduna State using the sample size of 10 as justified by Research Advisor Table (2006). Simple random sampling technique was used in the selection of sample of the study. Data were collected from a total sample of 10 sampled respondents using a researcher-made questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the study revealed that the major factors that determines the cost of building materials are high cost of producing building materials, high duties on importation, high demand for building materials, low number of local manufacturers of building materials, and cost of transportation and distribution and that the relationship between cost of building materials and house provision was substantial, positive correlation between the building materials and housing provision, r = 0.554, n = 6, p < 0.01. It was concluded that that most of the factors that determines the cost of building materials in Zaria Local Government are high cost of producing building materials, high duties on importation, high demand for building materials, low number of local manufacturers of building materials, and cost of transportation and distribution. The factors hindering housing provision included cost of building materials, low income rate, rate of tax on property development, cost of labour/workmanship, lack of adherence to building regulation and lack of easy access to loans from financial institutions. It was therefore recommended among others that, government should liaise with professionals in the building industry to organize seminar/workshop that will aim at encouraging research effort on the development use of more local manufactured industries for building materials using the local contents.