Evaluating the sustainability of urban housing development in Nigeria through innovative infrastructure management

Purpose - This paper aims to determine the sustainability of housing development in the context of neighbourhood infrastructure provision and also to examine the level of averting cost and substitutes resorted to by households in the study areas. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 80 questionnaires each were distributed and retrieved from households in Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) town and Badia, Lagos, Nigeria. The questionnaire design was based on a combination of an extensive review of literature dealing with the economic impact of urban infrastructure on the citizens of Lagos metropolis. All respondents returned completed questionnaires in a usable format, representing a 100 per cent response rate. Findings - Infrastructure provision is not sustainable in the study areas. This is based on the fact that infrastructure provision in the study areas is deplorable and in consequence households are willing to pay for its improvement. Research limitations/implications - Sustainability is a goal that allows for continuing improvement of standards of living without irreversible damage to resources need to survive as that humans species. It therefore implies that housing development has to be designed in a sustainable manner with due regard to its neighbourhood. This is reinforced by the fact that housing development cannot be sustainable without neighbourhood interactions and cost‐efficient infrastructure management. Originality/value - Review of sustainable urban services is needed to curb slum formation and deteriorating housing conditions in urban neighbourhoods. This will be a veritable tool in urban housing and infrastructure management.