Adequate housing beyond building more houses – Sanwo-Olu

The Lagos State Government says adequate housing goes beyond building more houses and extends to affordability, accessibility and provision of basic services.

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said this in his keynote address delivered by the state Commissioner for Housing, Mr Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, at the 2026 World Habitat Day celebration on Monday in Lagos.

It was reported that the 2026 World Habitat Day had the theme, “Adequate Housing for All”.

According to Sanwo-Olu, a house can exist and still fail to meet the needs of the family living in it.

He stressed that adequate housing must provide security, affordability, accessibility and basic services.

He said the state government had delivered 10,623 homes through direct budgetary funding and public-private partnerships since 2019, with 23 housing estates completed across the five divisions of the state.

The governor, however, acknowledged that the figure represented only a contribution  and not a complete solution to housing challenge.

He said the government was  working to improve access to home ownership through schemes such as Rent-to-Own and Lagos HOMS, while five housing schemes were under construction and expected to provide additional 1,584 homes.

He said housing must be supported by roads, drainage channels, electricity and water supply, noting that a building could not be regarded as an adequate home if residents could not access essential services.

He said the state was also pursuing tenancy reforms to protect tenants from arbitrary rent increases and illegal charges.

The governor called on developers, financial institutions, planning professionals, traditional and community leaders and other citizens to play their roles in creating safe and sustainable communities.

He urged citizens to comply with planning regulations, warning that buildings constructed without approval could pose risks to occupants and neighbouring communities.

Earlier, the state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, said adequate housing was closely linked to transport, employment, security, healthcare, education, water supply, sanitation and proper physical planning.

Olumide said the rapid growth of Lagos had placed pressure on land, housing and other urban services, stressing the need for coordinated planning.

He said achieving adequate housing for all required collaboration among governments, private developers, financial institutions, professional bodies, communities and other stakeholders.

The Founder and Convener of the Africa International Housing Show, Mr Festus Adebayo, said unaffordable housing had become both an economic and social problem.

Adebayo said many young graduates and working families spent a large proportion of their incomes on rent and transport which made it difficult for them to save, invest or become homeowners.

He said the focus should not only be on the number of houses available but also on who could access and afford them.

Adebayo noted that some houses in Nigeria remained unoccupied while many families continued to struggle to secure decent accommodation.

He called for land access, housing finance and affordability through stronger collaboration among governments and private-sector stakeholders.

In a goodwill message, the Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Mr David Olawale, said sustainable housing required intelligent urban planning and collaboration between governments and professional bodies.

He noted  that the Sustainable Development Goal 11 called for inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements.

The General Manager, Lagos Informal Space Management Authority, Mr Daisi Oso, said World Habitat Day was not only about providing houses but also about creating safe, peaceful, mobile and sustainable communities.

It was reported that the highlight of the celebration was a school debate on “Adequate Housing for All”.

It was between Lagos Baptist School and Vetland Senior Grammar School.

Vetland Senior Grammar School emerged the winner of the debate.