The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called for a broader approach to housing delivery that goes beyond the provision of buildings to ensuring affordability, access to infrastructure, safe communities and dignity for residents.
He made the call as Lagos State joined the rest of the world to commemorate the 2026 World Habitat Day with the theme, “Adequate Housing for All.”
World Habitat Day is observed globally on the first Monday of October under the auspices of UN-Habitat to draw attention to the state of human settlements and the fundamental right of everyone to adequate housing.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Housing, Mr Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, noted that the 2026 theme presented a more demanding question than simply providing shelter, stressing that an adequate home must be affordable, safe, well-serviced and suitable for the family that occupies it.
The Governor stated that while an estimated 2.8 billion people globally live in inadequate housing, including about 1.1 billion people in slums and informal settlements, Lagos also faces a significant housing challenge, with independent estimates putting the state’s housing gap at over 3.3 million homes.
He noted that the scale of the challenge required the government to look beyond the number of buildings constructed to the quality, affordability and environment surrounding such homes.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his administration had delivered 10,623 homes over seven years, comprising 4,414 homes through direct budgetary funding and 6,209 through public-private partnerships, with 23 housing estates completed across the five divisions of the state since 2019. He, however, acknowledged that the figure represented a contribution rather than a complete solution to the housing deficit.
According to him, access to home ownership had remained an important component of the state’s housing strategy. He noted that under the Rent-to-Own scheme, first-time buyers could take possession with a five per cent deposit and repay the balance over ten years, while the Lagos HOMS scheme provides for an equity contribution of up to 30 per cent, with repayment over ten years. He added that more than 20,000 Lagosians had been supported through mortgage and rent-to-own schemes over the past 12 years.
The Governor further explained that adequate housing must be accompanied by functional communities, stressing that Lagos housing estates were being planned with supporting infrastructure such as internal roads, drainage, electricity and water reticulation.
He cited the Greater Lagos Apartments in Surulere, developed on a former refuse dumpsite, as an example of how previously underutilised land could be transformed into a functional residential community.
He also highlighted the completion and ongoing development of previously stalled housing projects, including the Egan-Igando, Ajara and Abraham Adesanya schemes. He disclosed that five housing schemes currently under construction through direct budgetary funding would deliver an additional 1,584 homes, while the Ajara Phase II high-rise development had also commenced.
On tenancy, Sanwo-Olu stated that the government recognised that not every resident would own a home and that renters equally deserved protection. He noted that the proposed Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill before the Lagos State House of Assembly was intended to address arbitrary rent increases, illegal charges, the regulation of estate agents and faster resolution of tenancy disputes, while proposals for monthly and quarterly rent payments were also being considered.
The Governor stressed that adequate housing was a shared responsibility, urging developers to increase supply while maintaining quality, financial institutions to expand access to housing finance, planning professionals to uphold planning standards, traditional and community leaders to support orderly development, and residents to comply with planning regulations.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, said the theme was particularly relevant to Lagos because housing was closely connected to transportation, infrastructure, employment, security, healthcare, education, water, sanitation and the quality of the surrounding environment.
Olumide noted that the rapid growth of Lagos had continued to place pressure on land, housing, transportation and urban infrastructure, stressing that the state must therefore ask not only how many houses were being built, but also where they were located, how accessible they were and whether the surrounding environment enabled residents to live safely, comfortably and productively.
He emphasised the importance of physical planning in achieving adequate housing, stating that the ministry was committed to ensuring that development took place in an orderly and coordinated manner in line with the vision of a functional, liveable and sustainable Lagos. He also acknowledged the support of Governor Sanwo-Olu for housing, infrastructure and physical planning initiatives across the state.
The Commissioner called for stronger collaboration among the government, private developers, financial institutions, professional bodies, development partners, community leaders and residents, stressing that the housing challenge could not be addressed by the government alone. He also highlighted the Electronic Physical Planning Permit Processing System (e-PPPS) as part of ongoing efforts to make planning processes more efficient, transparent and responsive.