. Lagos delivers 10,623 housing units in 7yrs
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Lagos State Government has raised concerns over Nigeria’s worsening housing crisis, warning that the country’s effective housing deficit could rise to 28 million units within the next few years if urgent interventions are not sustained.
The Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, sounded the alarm on Tuesday during the Ministerial Press Briefing commemorating the third year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
Akinderu-Fatai said recent findings by the National Housing Data Technical Committee, inaugurated by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, showed that Nigeria’s official housing deficit currently stands at 14.925 million units.
According to him, the situation is even more troubling because an additional 15.2 million homes across the country have been classified as structurally defective or substandard, pushing the effective shortage close to 28 million units.
The commissioner noted that the growing housing gap poses a serious challenge to urban development, economic growth and social stability, especially in rapidly expanding cities like Lagos.
He explained that Lagos, with an estimated population of over 17.8 million people and an annual growth rate of nearly 3.8 per cent, remains the epicentre of housing demand in Nigeria.
Akinderu-Fatai said the pressure created by rapid urbanisation, rural-urban migration and limited landmass had worsened the state’s housing shortage, which independent reports estimate at more than 3.3 million units.
He stressed that the most severe shortages were being experienced within the low and middle-income housing segments, where affordability remains a major challenge for many residents.
The commissioner, however, said both the Federal Government and Lagos State Government had intensified efforts to address the crisis through policy reforms, housing projects and strategic partnerships with the private sector.
He highlighted the Federal Government’s housing intervention programmes, including the Ministry of Finance Incorporated Real Estate Investment Fund, MREIF, which provides mortgage financing at a single-digit interest rate of 9.75 per cent with repayment periods of up to 20 years.
Akinderu-Fatai also disclosed that the Lagos State Government had delivered 10,623 housing units in the last seven years through direct funding and Public-Private Partnerships, while ongoing projects are expected to raise the figure to over 14,000 units before the end of 2026.
He said the state government remained committed to reducing barriers to home ownership and increasing the supply of affordable homes across Lagos.
The commissioner added that the administration’s housing initiatives were not only addressing accommodation challenges but also creating jobs and stimulating economic activities in the construction and real estate sectors.
However, the Lagos State Government says it has delivered a total of 10,623 housing units across the state in the last seven years as part of efforts to reduce the housing deficit and expand access to affordable homes for residents.
Akinderu-Fatai said the housing units were delivered through a combination of direct government funding and Public-Private Partnership arrangements aimed at boosting affordable housing delivery in Lagos.
According to him, the Ministry of Housing provided 4,414 units of one, two and three-bedroom apartments through direct budgetary allocations, while Public-Private Partnerships contributed an additional 6,209 units to the state’s housing stock.
The commissioner noted that the administration had continued to intensify efforts to tackle the growing housing demand in Lagos, which currently faces an estimated housing deficit of over 3.3 million units.
He explained that the state government’s housing strategy focuses on increasing the supply of affordable homes, encouraging private sector participation and creating an enabling environment for real estate investment.
“As we zoom in on Lagos State, the urgency of the housing challenge becomes more pronounced due to rapid urbanisation, population growth and increasing migration into the state,” he said.
Akinderu-Fatai disclosed that the government in October 2025 commissioned the Akinsanya Sunny Ajose Estate Phase 1 comprising 420 units of one, two and three-bedroom apartments.
He added that another 233 affordable housing units under the Abraham Adesanya Housing Estate Joint Venture Scheme were also commissioned in November 2025.
According to the commissioner, the Sanwo-Olu administration has so far completed 23 housing estates spread across the five divisions of Lagos since 2019.
He further revealed that five major housing schemes are currently under construction across different parts of the state, including projects in Egan-Igando, Sangotedo, Epe, Ibeshe and Ipaja.
The commissioner expressed optimism that the ongoing projects would significantly increase the state’s housing stock upon completion.
“At completion, the administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu would have delivered a total of 14,022 home units to Lagosians,” he said.
Akinderu-Fatai also highlighted the role of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation, Lagos State Mortgage Board and Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority in supporting housing delivery, mortgage access and regulation of real estate activities in the state.
