Housing is a centre for many socio-economic activities and often provides a mark of prosperity, social acceptance,
and an element of urban development and growth in a country. However, it is suspected that the significance of
housing to people in the Niger Delta of Nigeria is lacking because of poor post-construction management practice
that is currently in place. At the same time, there are housing shortages, uncompleted, vandalized and abandoned
social housing stock in the Nigeria Delta. This has been a continuing challenge facing people in this region as
reported in previous studies. Therefore, the overall aim of the study is to develop a framework for the sustainable
management of social (public) housing estates in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. This paper aims to set out the context
for the research, identify its overall aim and objectives and thereafter considers issues related to the determination
of an appropriate scope for the study. It argues that the management of social housing estates in a sustainable
manner needs to adopt the principles of sustainability in combination with effective people-centred management
and building maintenance practices. It further asserts that the development of such a framework would be a panacea
approach in meeting the social housing challenges faced in the Niger Delta and in Nigeria at large.