Community Participation In Real Estate And Infrastructure Financing In Kwara State, Nigeria

The study examined the socio economic characteristics of residents of Omu-Aran, Oke-Oyi and Amu communities in Kwara state; identified and examined the types of infrastructure projects financed by these communities; examined the factors that influenced the choice of the selected infrastructure projects and how the selected projects were financed. This was with a view to providing information for policy making on real estate and infrastructure provision.Primary and secondary data were used. Questionnaire was used to elicit information from household heads in Omun Aran, Oke Oyi and Amun communities in Kwara State, Nigeria. The population consisted of 546 buildings, 50% (274) were selected using systematic sampling technique. Data on population figures and the number of buildings in the study area were extracted from the records of the National Population Commission (NPC), while the number of projects financed were obtained from the Kwara State Ministry ofRural Development and Local Government. Frequency distribution, Percentages and Factor Analysis were used to analyse the data collected.The factors identified by respondents as influencing the choice of financed real estate and infrastructure included government stake, level of public service support, instability in government, standard of living, inadequate delivery system, differences in taste and fashion and financial impediment accounting for 16.09%, 15.25%, 10.31%, and 8.89% of the variance respectively. All the factors accounted for 69.438% of the variance explained. The study concluded that the communities did not rely entirely on government and its agencies in financing infrastructure and the major means of financing were through donations and levying.