Housing is one of the basic necessities of life and it is a major challenge facing most developing nations. Many African governments have been struggling to provide housing that will meet the demands of her growing population.

In Nigeria, especially in the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT ),it is heartbreaking to see that government's efforts to bridge the gap between housing needs and supply through its mass housing programmes run mostly through Private Public Partnership (PPP), has not achieved the desired results. Nigeria's decision-makers should place emphasis on the promotion of wellbeing, starting with the equitable distribution (or enablement as to the basic needs of all the masses. This falls under the primary responsibility of those in government, and should not be assumed to be the responsibility of simply those who can afford it. Basic needs entail jobs and affordable decent housing, safe and easy accessible water in the inner-city areas especially, as well as reliable and affordable electricity, transport and healthcare. Overall, it is the right of every Nigerian to benefit from clean, safe and healthy environments.

Why does the government collect taxes and other forms of levies from the citizens? It is to create social and economic balance through the redistribution of income from the well to do to those who are less well-off. It also serves as a source of revenue to provide social amenities like housing, schools, roads and other infrastructures for the benefit of the people. Everybody cannot be rich. There will always be the poor among us and the government must be willing to lend a helping hand.

It is unfortunate that governments in Nigeria - at all levels, with the exception of one or two- have not yet got their priorities right especially in the aspect of housing.

In the quest to see how housing problems can be reduced in the country, the Women Environment Programme (WEP), a non- governmental organisation based in Abuja, Nigeria , in conjunction with other notable NGOs sponsored an exchange visit to Kenya, an east African country, to see and apparently learn how the Kenya government has been able to stem the tide of growing slums in the country's capital, Nairobi.

The team that visited Kenya comprised some selected community leaders in the FCT, media representatives and a senior representative from the Federal Capital Administration.

Nairobi is noted for hosting the biggest slums in Africa called Kibera slums which sits at the heart of capital city. The government of Kenya under the leadership of the incumbent President Mwai Kibaki, has put up proactive measures to eliminate the problem of slums build up in the capital city of Nairobi.

In a similar way as applicable back home in Nigeria, their government is into the demolition of slums, but with a notable and commendable initiative meant to assist slum dwellers to get houses of their own in the event of demolition tagged "slums upgrading." The Kenyan government is also doing something, missing here which is going into serious consultations, negotiations and consensus with the communities, and the supposed victims of slums demolition before any bulldozer can be rolled out to reduce their place of abode to rubbles.

The Kenyan government as the visiting team to Kenya learnt, partners with a non-governmental organisation called Pamoja Trust to ensure housing delivery to Kenyans especially the masses. And the partnership is yielding positive result as thousands of Kenyans have already benefited from the government's mass housing scheme.

How they do it.

Pamoja Trust as an NGO was able to win the trust and confidence of communities in Nairobi and across the country. They act as an intermediary between the people and the government of Kenya, ensuring that the rights of the citizens are protected in the government housing schemes and policies. They consult widely with people, giving them expert and technical advice, support and help them speak with one voice on issues affecting them. It is affiliated to Slum Dwellers International with the core objective of to support the urban poor, organise them to formal settlements and to give them support.

A housing programme Kenya Slum Upgrading programme (KENSUP), was set up.

The Kenyan Assistant Director of City Council told the team that Kenyan government after coming up with KENSUP has been able to provide hundreds of houses to Kenyans in various slums like Kibera, Kosovo, and Kisumu among several others.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Trust in Kenya Pamoja Trust Coordinator Mrs. Salma Sheba, said that Pamoja Trust organises the community into a formidable one, after which their housing problems are collectively discussed with a view to address them in the best way that will see that they actually benefit from any government action on their occupied land. She said that the organisation spent four years consulting with people on their housing needs.

"We now advise each one of them to start making daily contribution of at least 20 shillings, those that can afford more can do so. A collector is selected amongst the community members who will move round daily to ensure the collection. Any one of them who can raise ten percent of the total amount of the total cost of the building which they must have all agreed upon as their desired choice, will be assisted by Pamoja Trust to secure a bank loan. So, the ten percent serves as collateral to secure an automatic loan for the houses which will be executed by the government with the active participation of victims of the demolished slums. Over 600 saving schemes have been established so that the poor can save to get housing loans. We then negotiate with the Authority on Land titles and others, "

She explained further that the desired choice of houses needed for the slums to be upgraded will be fine -tuned by a combined team of building experts from the ministry of works in partnership with Pamoja Trust.

"The houses are built and a register is opened for the affected community inhabitants to put down their names so as to benefit directly from the upgraded slums. This is supervised by the community members themselves which makes it impossible for any outsider or government officials from hijacking the building from them after its completion through whatever means. For those who cannot raise up to ten percent we engage them in the building process and they earn daily wages which is automatically put into an account opened in their names to ensure that virtually all the people benefit from the housing projects," she explained.

The upgraded slums are befitting ones with roads, water and electricity provided by the government and through this. The Kenyan masses are equally enjoying the social amenities usually denied slum dwellers in this part of the world.

Although this method of slums upgrading has not achieved 100 percent success, it has worked out tremendously as it has remained the hope and aspiration of most Kenyans who never thought of owning decent houses in Nairobi.

Pamoja Trust is not limiting this trend to slums in Nairobi; they have begun extending such schemes to neighbouring cities around Nairobi as development catch up with neighbouring towns.

One thing should not go unmentioned it is the mutual trust, belief, passion and enthusiasm of Kenyans in this mass housing initiatives.

The young, old literate, illiterates, employed, unemployed and even the so called touts that abound in most African cities belief in it.

The enthusiasm and joy shows boldly on their faces as we waded through the congested slums of Kibera. The slums are full of dilapidated structures with dusty and rusty roofs.

The streets are full of people who are mainly city labourers who trek daily to and from to their various work places. All the areas we visited, they welcomed us warm heartedly, expressing delight in the activities of Pamoja Trust which has become a household name among Kenyans and in the government circle.

Mrs. Jospehine Muraguri is an old woman of about 78 years old who is the leader of the Mungano group, one of the numerous community groups formed in Kenya to see that housing is brought down to the level of the masses who constitute the majority, told this reporter excitedly that she is now the proud owner of three bedroom apartment in the Kosovo slums.