Shipping Container as an Alternative Housing Solution : Case Study Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

The ever-growing population of Lagos state, Nigeria has brought a challenge in housing which has resulted in a housing deficit of 5 million people in Lagos and 17 million on a national scale. An alternative solution of using habitable shipping container homes to support the construction capacity of conventional construction method that lacks the capacity to the deliver the annual required number of houses, is readily available but not common to many Lagos residents as they are familiar with temporary shipping container structures such as kiosk, site offices and emergency shelters.

This study was set out to understand the perspective, concerns and requirements in using shipping containers as an alternative solution in providing affordable and decent housing from a societal point of view of low and middle-income earners majorly affected by prominent housing deficit within Lagos and also the viability of the alternative solution for tropical region like Lagos in terms of cost, quality, and affordability when compared to conventional building methods.

The result shows that the choice of Lagos resident in accepting shipping container homes as alternative is not dependent on their educational background, age, or income, rather it is more societal status issue where people will accept what is commonly used by the society at large. Recommendations where made on how best to deliver this shipping container alternative home to Lagos residents and how Lagos state government can also support in the implementation.