Experts call for inclusive and sustainable housing in Lagos

Experts have called for a new strategy for housing in Lagos that prioritises inclusivity and sustainability.

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Housing experts on Friday at a gathering in University of Lagos, tagged ‘Shaping an Inclusive Vision for Housing in Lagos,’ emphasised the importance of shifting from affordable to inclusionary housing, to address the exclusion of certain groups from the housing system.

The call came against the backdrop of the demolition at Oworoshoki. Demolitions in parts of Oworonshoki have been ongoing since 2023, displacing hundreds of households. Recently, several families who have been displaced complained of inadequate compensation, destruction of property, and poor coordination by authorities.

Earlier this month, hundreds of protesters marched to Alausa, the seat of the Lagos State Government, in protest against the demolitions in Oworonshoki. The protesters and affected residents accused the state governemnt of planning to use the demolished area to set up a luxury estate. But the government has justified the demolition, saying Oworonshoki is one of the communities earmarked under the state’s comprehensive urban renewal and regeneration plan. They maintained that the affected structures were unsafe for habitation and constituted environmental hazards.

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‘Where will normal people sleep tonight?’

Africa’s most populous city, Lagos, is at a crossroads. With a population projected to reach 30 million by 2035, the city is grappling with the challenges of rapid urbanisation, including a severe housing shortage and inadequate infrastructure.

Deji Akinpelu from Rethinking Cities, in his presentation, ‘Where will normal people sleep tonight?’ noted that it is important for the state to meet the housing needs of its various income groups through public service, especially in a young nation.

He urged the Lagos state government to rethink its housing design while discussing the concept of incremental housing and its potential to address the housing needs.

He cited four successful innovative housing designs and their potential to address housing needs.

He said “low-income workers live, work and play. Live, work and play is a terminology that I have seen for luxury housing a lot,” he said.

“I have seen that in Brazil, inside the same city, I have seen carpenters who live there and who also have a carpentry workshop in that same building.”

Mr Akinpelu said the same housing design used in Gbagada, an urban centre, would not work for those in Ifon, a rural area.

He said buildings erected to meet housing deficits in the state should incorporate waste management, recycling, and urban farming, among others. He also said that there is a need for a legal framework that ensures fairness and inclusion in housing.

In her research presentation, Oluwaseun Muraina acknowledged the challenges of urban population growth in Lagos, highlighting a significant housing deficit.

Alternative pathway

However, Ms Muraina said, despite numerous government schemes since the 1960s, the housing shortfall has increased.

She stressed the need for alternative funding sources due to budgetary constraints, while proposing Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) as a solution, stressing the importance of land guarantees, policy incentives, and efficient project management.

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Earlier, Taibat Lawson, an associate professor of urban planning at UNILAG, noted that it is the responsibility of the government to provide housing for all, including those whose socioeconomic status falls under the minority, at a reasonable cost.

Ms Lawson emphasised the need to balance urban development with human needs and the importance of urban value. She added that the government should focus on adequate housing through policy changes and planning frameworks.

She spoke on the development of smart cities and their impact on the housing market, adding that “homes are being destroyed in the quest for smartness and development.”

Ms Lawson highlighted the significant housing crisis, as several Lagos residents live in the slums and the disruptive innovation of short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, and its impact on the rental market.

The urban planner urged the government to “find a way to balance the city for people and a city for profit.”

On his part, Mojeed Alabi, from the African Cities Research Consortium, charged journalists at the media engagement about their perception and reports on access to affordable housing in Lagos.