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Global Online Journal of Academic Research (GOJAR), Vol. 4, No. 1 February 2025 

 

 

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Relationship between Housing Management and 

Housing Conditions in Imo State Housing Corporation 

Estates in Owerri, Nigeria 

 

Nnanyere N. Chukwu, Chukwunonso O. Umeora & Charles 

C. Munonye 

 

 

 

ABSTRACT 

Housing conditions are acknowledged as important factors that determine the 

habitability of buildings. This was why this study investigated the relationship 

between housing management and housing conditions in Imo State Housing 

Corporation (IMSHC) estates in Owerri Capital Territory, Imo State, Nigeria, with a 

view to obtaining vital feedback which can be used for gauging and improving 

housing conditions in the study area. A survey design method was applied with a 

focus on five IMSHC estates randomly selected from the research population 

following a stratification based on housing type. Three hundred and five occupied 

housing units were randomly sampled from the selected estates. Data were collected 

from these using questionnaires. The variables, ‘Flaking/Peeling wall finish’ and 

‘Availability of procedures for maintenance operations’, representing housing 

condition and housing management system respectively, were selected for this 

analysis. The two variables are of nominal variable category; therefore, the Chi-

square test of independence analysis tool was applied towards examining the 

significance of the relationship. It was established that there is a significant 

relationship between Flaking/Peeling wall finish’ and ‘Availability of procedures for 

maintenance operations’ in the study area. It is recommended that for prompt 

maintenance of facilities in buildings, the residents should undertake it. For 

maintenance of facilities in the neighbourhood, IMSHC should undertake that. 

Moreover, there should be a legal provision to enable residents of IMSHC estates to 

enforce maintenance activities in the environment. The time taken to respond to 

residents’ complaints should be improved upon by ensuring prompt response to 

grievances. 

Keywords: buildings, habitability, housing conditions, housing management, 

maintenance 

 

 



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INTRODUCTION 

Before the colonisation of Nigeria, there was no need for housing estates 

because residential buildings were constructed mainly to quarter family 

members who dwelt in huts within the family compound. Umeora (2018) 

noted that the colonial masters introduced housing estates to house their 

employees near their places of work in cities. When Nigeria gained 

independence, government and other organised bodies continued with this 

urban housing development and expanded the number of housing estates all 

over the country. The management and maintenance of these estates have 

come under scrutiny by professionals in the housing sector.  

Developing countries such as Nigeria have witnessed high rates of 

urbanisation but these have not been accompanied by adequate increases in 

the rate of economic development. This fast but inadequately managed 

urbanisation has created a huge demand for urban housing which could not be 

met by the government and the organised formal sector in major Nigerian 

cities. As a result, 20 to 35 percent of urban housing in Nigerian cities is 

either dilapidated or in dire need of major repairs due to the poor housing 

conditions in the various housing programmes (Bello & Egresi, 2017; 

Muhammad & Bichi, 2014). Owerri, the Capital Territory of Imo State, is not 

left out in urbanisation and population growth. From 2006 to 2016, Owerri 

has experienced an average population growth rate of 4.04% (United Nations, 

2022). The resultant effect of this population growth are evident in the urban 

housing crisis which has affected the housing conditions as the supply of 

housing stock manifestly lags behind the needs of the populace. This was 

corroborated by Aotearoa (2009) as cited in Umeora (2020a).  

Housing condition is a vital influential factor of the habitability of buildings 

as it shows the level of resident’s well-being. Isma’il et. al. (2015) posited 

that there are severe housing shortages in urban centres caused by poor 

housing conditions. This manifests in the high number of people living in 

public quarters that lack basic physical and social amenities. Housing 

conditions refer to the sum of external effects (natural and man-made) that 

make the housing units comfortable for the inhabitants. They play a major 

role in the health status of occupants as they impact the physical, social, 

economic, and mental well-being of occupants (Turunen et. al, 2010). The 

World Health Organisation (WHO) also stated that housing should be able to 

minimise the following for the occupants: physical injury, protracted diseases, 

as well as reduce psychological and social stresses to the barest minimum.  

The Imo State Housing Corporation (IMSHC) was established under Section 

3 Edict No. 14 of 1976. IMSHC has the mandate to design and supervise the 

construction of houses, the acquisition of houses, the management of housing 



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estates, rental to the members of the public, maintenance of buildings, and 

other infrastructure needed for the proper functioning of the estates (Imo State 

Housing Corporation). Some of the IMSHC estates in Owerri were developed 

over 30 years ago, and it seems the management agency that has the 

responsibility of monitoring and supervising the activities of the estates has 

not lived up to its expectations. The managers of the estates, judged by their 

primary duty of ensuring that the building units in the estates and the facilities 

do not deteriorate, have fallen short of expectation. The dwelling units lack 

maintenance operations, and this has resulted to evident decay in quality of 

the various housing estates.  

When housing estates are poorly or inadequately managed, tragic 

consequences, such as ill-maintained buildings, poor sanitation, and various 

environmental health hazards could emanate. Okoye et al. (2018) affirmed 

that management of waste in the environment is crucial for healthy living. 

Ibem et al. (2013) noted that housing enables occupants to carry out different 

activities – work, rest, leisure, fitness and social interactions in the 

neighbourhood. Muoghalu (1987), as cited in Umeora (2018), posited that of 

all the dimensions of housing, management is the most crucial in explaining 

level of satisfaction of residents. Maintenance level, empathy, responsiveness 

and strictness were identified as the major components of managerial 

competence. Therefore, proper housing management is indispensable for 

keeping the buildings and amenities in serviceable conditions to ensure 

residents’ satisfaction and good housing conditions (Hui, 2005).  

The Owerri Capital Territory has, over the years, witnessed the migration of 

people from different parts of Nigeria. Consequently, some housing estates 

have been put under pressure. Some of these estates lack basic amenities such 

as electricity, water drainages, potable water, proper waste disposal systems, 

and good roads; instead, what one sees there are bad roads, defaced facades, 

and broken roofs, among other signs of inadequate maintenance. The lack and 

inadequacy of these affect the housing conditions. Additionally, poor housing 

conditions and quality are associated with health conditions such as 

respiratory diseases, depression, nausea, allergic symptoms, hypothermia, and 

physical injury.  

Some human activities in Imo State Housing Corporation estates, such as 

poor drainage planning, building along the drainage profile and blocking of 

drainage channels, and lack of coordinated maintenance management 

activities have also contributed to poor housing conditions. Some poor 

housing conditions in the estates are manifest in surface dampness on the 

walls, peeling of paints, and algae growth on the walls, and runoff of surface 

water causing erosion in the environment. Salleh et al. (2012) identified some 

management issues which have impact on housing conditions and residents’ 



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level of satisfaction in housing; they include the following: occupants’ 

selection procedures, laws implementation, time taken to respond to 

residents’ complaints, environmental security and overall quality of 

maintenance carried out by the management.  

This study was part of a wider research that sought to examine the effect of 

housing conditions on housing quality in Imo Housing Corporation estates in 

Owerri capital territory to provide guidelines for improving housing 

conditions in the study area. For this particular study, the objective was to 

investigate the relationship between housing management and housing 

conditions in Imo State Housing Corporation Estates in Owerri, Nigeria. A 

null hypothesis was put forward which sought to establish the significant 

relationship between housing management system and housing conditions in 

the estates. It stated that there is no significant relationship between housing 

management and housing conditions in Imo State Housing Corporation 

Estates in Owerri, Nigeria. 

Area of Study 

The area of study, Owerri Capital Territory, is situated in Imo State, Nigeria. 

Owerri is the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. It was created by the military 

administration of General Murtala Ramat Muhammed on February 3rd 1976. 

Nigeria is a country in West Africa that is situated in the northern latitudes 

between 4o and 14o and between 3o and 15o of the eastern longitudes. It 

borders Niger in the north, Chad in the northeast, Cameroon in the east, and 

Benin in the west. Nigeria covers an area of 923,769 square kilometres, with 

a population of over 211 million (National Population Commission, 2006). 

Figure 1 shows the map of Nigeria showing 36 States and the study area. 

 
Figure 1: Map of Nigeria showing Imo State and the study area (Owerri Capital 

Territory) Source: Chukwu (2024) 



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Owerri Capital Territory is approximately 100 square kilometres in area. It is 

located along the crossroad of major commercial routes in Southeast Nigeria, 

which are Onitsha-Owerri Express Road, Owerri-Port Harcourt Express 

Road, Owerri-Umuahia Road and Owerri-Aba Road. Owerri Capital Territory 

comprises the following local governments in Imo State: Owerri Municipal, 

Owerri West, Owerri North and parts of Mbaitoli, Aboh Mbaise, Ngor 

Okpala, Ohaji/Egbema and Ikeduru Local Government Areas. Owerri Capital 

Territory is located between latitudes 05˚25’ and 05˚32’ North and longitudes 

06˚57’ and 07˚07’. Rainfall is the greatest climatic variable with an annual 

total mean of 2190mm (Chukwuocha, Ngah, & Chukwuocha, 2017). Other 

climatic data of the study area include an average annual high temperature of 

32°C (89.96°F ), an annual low temperature of 23.19°C (73.74°F), 

average annual precipitation of 229.07cm and humidity of 74.78% (Nigerian 

Climatic Classification, 2023). Weather parameters are paramount in this era 

of climate change. Also, relative humidity, amount of sunshine and wind 

speed, among others, are weather parameters which play a role in determining 

the amount of rainfall received in an area. 

LITERATURE REVIEW      

There is a consensus that management/institutional framework plays a key 

role in housing policy formulation and implementation (Ibem, 2011). 

Management is usually inspired by the need to be cautious in the usage of 

assets and judicious in the usage of time in attaining pre-stated objectives. 

Obodoh (2009) defined management as the scheduling, coordination, and 

control of the essential resources for the achievement of stated goals. The 

relationship between the management system of housing and the residents 

exerts a great impact on housing quality. If there is a cordial relationship 

between them, matters of maintenance of infrastructure will be addressed 

timely to reduce dilapidation. Issues under management variables are the type 

and quality of services rendered by the managers, time taken by the managers 

in treating residents’ complaints and ensuring environmental sanitation.  

The Imo Housing Corporation has the mandate to control and manage the 

development of housing units and perform such other functions as the 

Commissioner of Housing and Urban Development may direct. Those 

functions may also include to design and supervise housing programmes for 

the state government; award contracts for the development of housing estates, 

assess infrastructure needed in layouts of housing estates owned or managed 

by the corporation; oversee the maintenance of buildings, roads, footways, 

bridges, drains, sewers and water courses for or in connection with housing 

estate owned or managed by the Corporation (Imo State Housing 

Corporation, n.d.). 



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To assist the harmonisation between residents in running some of the shared 

facilities of housing, a certain level of organisation from the management is 

necessary. Although there is mounting interest in research examining the 

effects of management on housing performance, few works have looked at 

the correlation between housing management systems and housing condition 

(Aotearoa, 2009). Given that most housing schemes are constructed to 

stipulated standards, the buildings and facilities in the estates generally 

perform optimally at that new state, until they start to deteriorate when 

subjected to inhabitation and usage. Therefore, appropriate maintenance and 

management of amenities in the housing estates are crucial for keeping the 

amenities in functional conditions to ensure residents’ satisfaction (Hui, 

2005).  

Some of the stipulated standards of housing condition address: aesthetics, 

sanitation, drainage, age of the building, access to basic housing facilities, 

burglary, spatial adequacy, noise level within the neighbourhood, sewage and 

waste disposal, air pollution and ease of movement, among others. Lanrewaju 

(2012) noted poor housing condition in public housing programmes in 

maintenance of facilities within the estate as well as poor management 

approach towards residents’ problems in the estate. Salleh, Yosuf, Salleh and 

Johari (2012) identified management issues which have impacted housing 

conditions in housing estates, including the sociability of the managers, 

residents’ selection procedures, implementation of bye-laws, time taken to 

respond to residents’ complaints, security of the neighbourhood and quality of 

maintenance works done by the managers. 

METHODOLOGY 

The research design for this study was survey design, and it was 

accomplished through the use of a questionnaire to collect data from 

respondents in the study area. The research population was the completed 

IMSHC estates within Owerri Capital Territory, built and inhabited between 

1976 and 2016 when the last housing estate was completed. Stratified 

sampling of the estates based on building type was adopted as the sampling 

method for this study. In the first stage, the list of the 14 estates completed 

and occupied in the study area was generated as shown in Table 1. 

Table 1: List of Imo State Housing Corporation Estates in Owerri 

Capital Territory 

S/N NAME OF ESTATE 

1 Aladimma   

2 Prefab  

3 Prefab Extension I                                                                        

4 Prefab Extension II                                                                      



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5 Uratta Road                                                                                  

6 Trans-Egbu    

7 Umuguma Area ‘S’ 

8 Umuguma Area ‘X’ 

9 Umuguma Area ‘XA’ 

10 Tavron Prefab Estate 

11 City Garden Estate MCC Road 

12 Redemption Housing Estate 1  Avu/Obinze                                                     

13 Exclusive Garden Estate Phase I&II Nekede 

14 Oforola Housing Estate  Oforola 

                                Source: Imo State Housing Corporation, n.d 

In the second stage, the categorisation of the estates based on building type 

was done. The categorisation of the estates is 1 - Bungalows; 2 - Bungalows 

and Duplexes; 3 - Bungalows and 3-storey blocks of flats. Table 2 describes 

the categorisation based on the above-stated criteria. 

Table 2: List of Imo State housing corporation estates in Owerri 

categorised by house type in the estates 

S/N Bungalow Bungalow and Duplex  Bungalow and 3 

Storey Block of Flats 

1 Redemption Estate Prefab Estate Trans-Egbu Estate 

2 Aladimma Estate Umugwuma Estate  

3 Uratta Road Estate Oforola Estate  

4 Tavros Estate City Garden estate  

5  Nekede Exclusive Garden 

Estate 

 

   Source: Fieldwork, 2022 

Following the categorisation, random sampling by balloting was carried out 

and the following were picked to represent the various building types: 

i. Bungalows: Aladimma Estate and Uratta Road Housing Estate 

ii. Bungalows and Duplex combined: Prefab estate and City Garden Estate 

iii. Bungalow and 3 Storey Block of Flats: Trans-Egbu. 

Sampling size was derived using the Cochran formula for finite population: 

from Kothari (2004) 

n =  Z2 x σ2
p x N 

(N-1) e2 + Z2 x σ 2
p 

Where n = size of sample for finite population; N = research population = 

1484 housing units; σp = standard deviation of population assumed = 0.5; e 



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= significance level (precision/acceptable error) chosen = 0.05; Z = standard 

variate at a given confidence level = 1.96 for a confidence level of 95%.  

A sample size of 305 respondents was derived and distributed to the estates in 

ratio to their contribution as shown in Table 3. 

Table 3: Respondents Population in Sampled Estates 

 Aladimma 

Estate 

Uratta 

Road 

Prefab City Garden Trans-Egbu 

Housing Units 556 310 267 10 341 

Sampled 114 64 55 2 70 

                    Source: Fieldwork, 2022 

A systematic random sampling was used in the selection of housing units in 

each street of the housing estates. After the first house, every fourth house 

was surveyed. In each house, in the case of a multi-family unit, one 

household would be administered the questionnaire. 

Pearson's Product Moment Correlation analysis was used to test the 

significant relationship between the two Interval variables selected from the 

research data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. 

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 

Analysis of aggregated data on the Availability of procedures 

for maintenance operations in the estate  

From the data gathered, 90.2% of the respondents indicated that there was no 

available procedure for maintenance operations in the estates. This could be 

part of the reasons why there was a decline in the housing quality in the area 

(See Table 4). 

Table 4: Aggregated Data on Availability of procedures for maintenance 

operations in the Estate 

Value label Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent 

Yes 28 9.8 9.8 

No 259 90.2 100.0 

Total 287 100.0  
                    Source: Fieldwork, 2023 

Analysis of aggregated data of Management of maintenance of facilities 

in the estate  

The data analysed revealed that most of the respondents pointed out that 

management of maintenance of facilities in the estates was handled by the 



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residents while 7% showed that IMSHC managed the facilities. See Table 5 

for details. 

Table 5: Aggregated Data on Management of maintenance of facilities in 

the Estate 

Value label Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent 

IMSHC 2 .7 .7 

Residents 270 94.1 94.8 

Both parties 15 5.2 100.0 

Total 287 100.0  
                    Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

Analysis of aggregated data of Communication channels in the estate  

The results collected indicated that most of the respondents communicated 

with the housing corporation by visiting the office. A few of the respondents 

stated that they communicated with the IMSHC either by phone calls or SMS. 

Table 6 shows this. 

Table 6: Aggregated Data on Communication Channels in the Estate 

Value label Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent 

SMS 1 .3 .3 

Phone calls 16 5.6 5.9 

Visit to office 241 84.0 89.9 

Internet 1 .3 90.2 

All of the above 28 9.8 100.0 

Total 287 100.0  
                    Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

 

Analysis of aggregated data of Duration to react to Resident’s complaints 

in the estate  

The data analysed indicated that it took between 4-6 days to react to 

resident’s complaints as noted by the majority of the respondents. 36.9% of 

the respondents agreed that it took more than six (6) days for IMSHC to react 

to their complaints. Table 7 shows this. 

Table 7: Aggregated Data on Duration to React to Resident’s Complaints 

in the Estate 

Value label Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent 

1-3 days 17 5.9 5.9 

4-6 days 164 57.1 63.1 

more than 6 days 106 36.9 100.0 

Total 287 100.0  
                    Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

 



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Analysis of aggregated data on the Regularity of Corporation visits to the 

estate  

From the data gathered, it could be seen that most of the respondents (35.9%) 

confirmed that the regularity of the corporation's visit to the estate was twice 

a year while 31.0% agreed that the regularity of the corporation's visit to the 

estate was quarterly and 18.8% of the respondents accepted once a year. This 

is illustrated in Table 8. 

Table 8: Aggregated Data on Regularity of Corporation Visits to the 

Estate 

Value label Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent 

Monthly 10 3.5 3.5 

Bi-monthly 24 8.4 11.8 

Quarterly 89 31.0 42.9 

Twice a year 103 35.9 78.7 

Once a year 54 18.8 97.6 

Others 7 2.4 100.0 

Total 287 100.0  
                       Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

 

Analysis of aggregated data on the Availability of Security in the estate  

The investigation revealed that 57.1% of the respondents confirmed the 

availability of security measures in the estates within the study area as shown 

in Table 9. 

Table 9: Aggregated Data on Availability of Security in the Estate 

Value label Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent 

Yes 164 57.1 57.1 

No 123 42.9 100.0 

Total 287 100.0  
                       Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

 

Analysis of aggregated data of Arrangement of Security in the estate  

It could be observed that the majority of the respondents indicated that the 

arrangement of security in the estate was handled by residents (individuals). 

Few of the respondents noted that security arrangement was done centrally by 

the estate (See Table 10). 

Table 10: Aggregated Data on Arrangement of Security in the Estate 

Value label Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent 

Estate Central 56 19.5 19.5 

Individual 209 72.8 92.3 

Both 22 7.7 100.0 

Total 287 100.0  
                       Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

 



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Analysis of aggregated data of Management of Central Security in the 

estate  

The data collected showed that the majority of the respondents stated that 

management of central security in the estate was done by the residents. A few 

of the respondents stated that IMSHC managed security in the estates while a 

minute percentage (1.7%) stated that the government managed security 

arrangements. Table 11 shows this. 

Table 11: Aggregated Data on Management of Central Security in the 

Estate 

Value label Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent 

IMSHC 6 2.1 2.1 

Estate Residents 276 96.2 98.3 

Government 5 1.7 100.0 

Total 287 100.0  
                       Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

 

Analysis of aggregated data on the state of repair of external walls 

The state of repair of walls was examined and the results showed that a 

greater percentage (41.5%) of the external walls were in a bad state of repair 

while the external walls in a good state of repair were less at 38.3%. Table 12 

shows the details. This means that the buildings in a bad state of external wall 

repairs were in a poor state, and they were not fit for human inhabitation. 

Table 12: Aggregated Data on the State of repair of external walls in the 

buildings 

Value label Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent 

Very good 15 5.2 5.2 

Good 110 38.3 43.6 

Not sure 30 10.5 54.0 

Bad 119 41.5 95.5 

Very bad 13 4.5 100.0 

Total 287 100.0  
                         Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

 

Analysis of aggregated data on the state of repair of the roof 

From the data gathered and analysed, roofs in bad state of repair were greater 

in number with 47.7% of the respondents indicating so while the ones in good 

state of repair were 34.1%. This implies that most of the roofs were in a bad 

state and needed urgent repairs and improvement. Figure 2 illustrates this. 

 

 



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Figure 2: Aggregated Data on the State of repair of roofs in the buildings 

Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

 

Aggregated data analysis of waste disposal facilities in the estates 

From the analysis, there was a high level of inadequate waste disposal 

facilities in the estate, as reported by 31.7% of the respondents; 21.3% of the 

respondents reported that waste disposal facilities were adequate. Table 13 

displays the result. 

Table 13: Aggregated Data on Waste Disposal Facilities in the Estate 

Value label Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent 

Very inadequate 19 6.6 6.6 

Inadequate 91 31.7 38.3 

Undecided 106 36.9 75.3 

Adequate 61 21.3 96.5 

Very adequate 10 3.5 100.0 

Total 287 100.0  
                         Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

 

Analysis of aggregated data of State of repair of buildings  

It can be observed from Table 14 that most of the respondents stated that the 

buildings in the estates were in a bad state of repair and 26.8% of the 

respondents stated that the buildings were in a good state of repair. This 

revealed that most of the buildings were in poor condition and unfit for 

human dwelling.  

Table 14: Aggregated Data on the State of repair of building in the 

buildings 

Value label Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent 

Very good 14 4.9 4.9 

Good 77 26.8 31.7 

7.3, 7%

34.1, 34%

7, 7%

47.7, 48%

3.8, 4%
Very good

Good

Not sure

Bad

Very bad



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Not sure 69 24.0 55.7 

Bad 115 40.1 95.8 

Very bad 12 4.2 100.0 

Total 287 100.0  
                         Source: Fieldwork 2023 

Analysis of aggregated data of Flaking/Peeling wall finish used in the 

housing estates  

Most of the respondents indicated that the paint on the internal walls was 

peeling off. This implies that a greater proportion of the buildings have their 

paint peeling off as shown in Figure 3. It implies that most of the buildings 

need to be repainted to improve their aesthetic appearance. 

 

Figure 3: Data on Flaking/Peeling wall finish used in the Housing Estates. 

Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

Test of Hypothesis 

The variables ‘Flaking/Peeling wall finish’ (PWF) and ‘Availability of 

procedures for maintenance operations’ (APMO) were selected for this 

analysis. The two variables are of nominal variable category; therefore, the 

Chi-square test of independence analysis tool was applied towards examining 

the significance of the relationship.  

The result from the analysis carried out showed 0.776 as the Chi-square 

value, with a Df value of 1 and a p-value of 0.038 as presented in Table 15. 

This p-value of 0.038 is less than the chosen α-value (i.e., acceptable 

significance level) of 0.050 for this research, implying therefore that it is 

accepted as significant. It is established, hence, that the relationship that 

exists between the two investigated variables can be stated to be statistically 

significant for this study. The alternate hypothesis, which states that 

‘There is significant relationship between Flaking/Peeling off wall finish and 

‘Availability of procedures for maintenance operations in Imo State Housing 



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Corporation (IMSHC) estates in Owerri Capital Territory’, is thus accepted. 

Table 1: Result of Chi-square test of independence analysis of 

relationship between PWF and APMO 

  Availability of procedures 

for maintenance operations 

Flaking/Peeling wall finish

  

Chi-Square 0.776a 

Df 1 

P-Value .038 
          Source: Fieldwork (2023) 

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

The study showed that the housing management affects housing condition in 

Imo State Housing Corporation (IMSHC) estates in Owerri Capital Territory. 

Obodoh (2009) stated that the relationship between managers of housing 

estates and the residents exerts a great impact on housing quality. If there is 

an amiable relationship between them, issues of maintenance will be 

addressed timely to reduce dilapidation. Hui (2005) stated that a proper 

management system is essential for keeping the housing in serviceable 

conditions to ensure good quality at all times. 

No system can function adequately without a proper management system, 

housing estates inclusive. The management can be made up of administrative 

and technical staff. The latter, which should be made up of professionals in 

the building industry, should be included in the planning and design of the 

estates. The former should see to the running of the estates by ensuring that 

the guidelines established are kept to by residents. They should carry out 

supervisory roles in conjunction with technical staff to get feedback from the 

residents. While investigating the management systems and housing 

conditions in the area of study, it was proven that there is significant 

relationship between flaking/peeling off of  wall finish and the Availability of 

procedures for maintenance operations in Imo State Housing Corporation. It 

is also noted that the availability of procedures for maintenance operations 

had significant correlation with the state of repair of external walls. 

Therefore, it is recommended that:  

i. For prompt maintenance of facilities in buildings the residents should 

undertake it. For maintenance of facilities in the neighbourhood, IMSHC 

should undertake that. There should be a legal provision to enable the 

residents to enforce maintenance activities in the environment by IMSHC. To 

lessen abuse of the residents, there should be a provision to enable the 

residents to withhold rent or annual development fee paid to compensate for 

maintenance executed by them in the event of delays by the estate managers. 



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ii. The time taken to respond to residents’ complaints should be improved 

upon by ensuring prompt response to complaints. From the analysis done, it 

was evident that it takes more than a week to respond to residents’ 

complaints. This situation should be reversed by taking into consideration 

other means by which the IMSHC could attend to various complaints by the 

residents. This may be by having a liaison office within the estate where 

residents can also drop comments and suggestions. Leveraging on this, the 

feedback system is guaranteed, leading to a working partnership between 

IMSHC and the residents, which is useful.   

These recommendations, if implemented, could lead to an increased level of 

housing quality in the IMSHC estates. 

 

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Nigeria. A Ph.D thesis in the Department of Architecture, 

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Nigeria. 

Chukwuocha, N. A., Ngah, S. A., & Chukwuocha, A. C. (2017). 

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Author Information: Nnanyere N. Chukwu works at 

Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) South-East 

Zonal Office, Enugu, Nigeria. Email: emekacnn@gmail. 

com 

 
 

 

 

 

Chukwunonso O. Umeora is of Department of 

Architecture, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu 

University, Anambra State, Nigeria. Email: 

coumeora@gmail.com 

 
 

 

 

 

Charles C. Munonye is of Department of Architecture, 

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, 

Anambra State, Nigeria. 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

APA 
 

Chukwu, N. N., Umeora, C. O., & Munonye, C. C. (2025). 

Relationship between Housing Management and Housing 

Conditions in Imo State Housing Corporation Estates in Owerri, 

Nigeria. Global Online Journal of Academic Research (GOJAR), 

4(1), 73-89. https://klamidas.com/gojar-v4n1-2025-05/.  
 

MLA 
 

Chukwu, Nnanyere N., Umeora, Chukwunonso O. & Munonye, 

Charles C. “Relationship between Housing Management and 

Housing Conditions in Imo State Housing Corporation Estates in 

Owerri, Nigeria”. Global Online Journal of Academic Research 

(GOJAR), vol. 4, no. 1, 2025, pp. 73-89. https://klamidas.com/gojar-

v4n1-2025-05/.  

 

 

 

 


