Muritala Ayinla 
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State last Tuesday unveiled his administration’s biggest housing estates comprising 774 housing units of flats, a development which made many to likened his passion for housing to the first Executive Governor of Lagos State, late Alhaji Lateef Jakande. Muritala Ayinla reports
Lagos is undisputedly the most populous state in Nigeria and in Africa, with an estimated population of 21 million people. This is arguably 2.5 times the population of New York (8.8 million) and five times the population of Johannesburg (4.4 million). It is the only state in Nigeria that keeps receiving thousands of visitors in spite of the growing economic and security challenges in the country. As the state plays host to visitors from across the globe who visit the state for one reason or the other, it also serves as greener pastures for most Nigerians and some neighbouring African countries, who fled their homes due to persistent insecurity challenges or economic hardship in Lagos. With an estimated population of over 500,000 people moving into Lagos every year for greener pastures or other reasons, the state is faced with compounding housing challenges. It said the population of Lagos is expected to double by 2050, putting even more pressure on already limited housing options in the state with over 17 million housing unit shortfall. Hence, combined with the high poverty level and bureaucratic bottlenecks, it stresses, makes house ownership in Lagos expensive and cumbersome.
Affordability questions
Affordable housing is a considerable challenge for urban areas with large populations, and this is particularly prevalent in the Nigerian city of Lagos. Hence, to many Nigerians, the claim of affordable is more rhetoric than reality. The government builds but very few can afford the cost of the building- a development that is responsible for several empty homes with millions of residents homeless people in the urban centres.
Tackling housing challenges
Realising the fact that it is one thing to build massive housing to tackle the housing challenges and it another to put in mechanisms that will make the housing affordable and assessable to millions of people especially the aspiring home-owners, Sanwo-Olu didn’t only speedily complete all the ongoing housing projects in the state but also ensuring that the massive housing are occupied as early possible. Hence, his administration has so far completed and inaugurated 14 housing estates across the state, namely: Alhaja Lafeef Jakande Gardens Igando; Courtland Villas Igbokushu; Lekki Apartments Lekki; Lagos State Affordable Housing Scheme, Idale; Bayview Estate, Lekki; Sunnyville Apartments NOBOluwa,Ogba;Phoenix Apartments Illupeju; LAGOSHOMS Lekki Phase II; Babatunde Raji Fashola Estate,Iponri; Prince Abiodun Ogunleye Estate, Igbogbo; LAGOSHOMS Omole 1; LAGOSHOMS Omole; LAGOSHOMS Magodo; LAGOSHOMS Ibeshe. Just as he was advised by a development economist, Chief Babatunde Fanimokun, to study the blueprint of the former Civilian Governor of Lagos State, late Alhaji Lateef Jakande’s affordable housing.
Speaking at the third Jakande Housing Lecture Series, (JHLS), held in Lagos, Fanimokun said some of the processes used by the former governor to achieve affordable housing included the elimination of middle men, building on demands, emphasizing on labour only, and the government providing the land and infrastructure He said Jakande did not only take care of the low-income earners as it was erroneously believed insomequarters, asheintroduced aSiteandServiceSchemeandPrivate Developers Scheme, which made the Lekki area of Lagos account for over 150 private housing estates as of 2010, a development which has energized the economy of Lagos and made life better for the citizenry. But like the late Lagos Action Governor, Sanwo-Olu is also making strides in the housing sector, even following the insinuations by some Nigerian leaders that affordable housing delivery is no longer feasible.
In a bid to enhance access to housing schemes and reduce the housingdeficit, theSanwo-Olu-led government had unveiled plans to digitise two core departments in the Ministry of Housing to fast-track data processing for increased efficiency and reduce inconveniences occasioned by prospective allotees and investors.
In line with his administration’s commitment to bridge the housing deficit and create affordable accommodation for residents, Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday inaugurated and delivered 744 home units at LagosHOMS Sangotedo Housing Scheme Phase I in Eti- Osa East Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of the state. Sanwo-Olu said the various homes being delivered to the public in the last two and a half years are the administration’s way of building bridges and promoting the emergence of new communities that are resilient and responsive to both communal and individual aspirations.
The 744 home units in the LagosHOMS Sangotedo Housing Scheme (Phase 1), which is the largest housing scheme to be completed by the current administration, comprise 62 blocks of 12 homes each, making up a total of 248 one-bedroom, 248 twobedroom, and 248 three-bedroom apartments.
The gated estate also has car park space for 492 cars within compounds and 406 at the general car park, external electrification provided from the National grid with an injection station of 15MVA and seven transformers of 500KVA capacity, water treatment and supply with a storage capacity of 192m3 and 680m3 capacity for the overhead and groundwater tanks respectively, sewage system with a treatment capacity of 650m3 per day, street lights and 792 meters of dual carriageway and 856 metres of single carriageway. Speaking at the inauguration, Sanwo-Olu said the event is a celebration of his administration’s commitment to fulfilling the promise the incumbent government made to Lagosians to reduce the housing deficit in the state by enhancing access to decent and affordable accommodation.
The governor also disclosed that the state government is set to implement the enforcement of a monthly tenancy on property occupancy from next year. He said: “As we can all observe in this housing estate and others that we have commissioned in various parts of the State; we don’t only build houses, we create homesinlivablecommunities. We providesupportinginfrastructure within the environment to add value to the lives of our people.
“We promote a sense of togetherness that transcends our tribal, religious and political differences. This is our own way of building bridges and promoting the emergence of new communities that are resilient and responsive to both communal and individual aspirations.” Speaking on his administration’s plan to reduce rent burden through a monthly tenancy agreement scheme, Sanwo-Olu said his government was determined to cater for numerous others who may not have plans or the ability to own homes, but have immediate needs for decent shelter. He said: “We are at an advanced stage of enacting what we call the Lagos monthly tenancy agreement scheme.
“It is a scheme we are ready to develop with some of our financial institutions to be able to have a pull of funds where beneficiaries that are current tenants who are living in houses with flats but who are challenged to pay a yearly rent, would be able to approach the scheme and the scheme would help them pay their one year rent to the landlord.
“This will ensure that they don’t come cap in hand to borrow. We will look at the tenant’s salary or income, and there will be a repayment plan on a monthly basis based on the scheme. “The landlord would be happy because he has met his own scheme and the tenant will also be happy because he or she doesn’t need to rush to an uncle or aunty to meet up with a yearly rent.” Sanwo-Olu, while speaking on his administration’s plan for those who cannot benefit from the Lagos State housing schemes, said the State Government is deepening its activities in the area of land allocation and speeding up the formalisation procedures for land acquisition and proper title.
He said there should be orderliness and sanity in the housing sector, promising to tackle the problem of land grabbing and prevent the citizens from obtaining improper title on the land they are buying from various communities. Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, said the continuous provision of decent homes for the residents of the state has become a hallmark of distinction of the present administration led by Sanwo Olu. He added: “Within the past 26 months, in line with its pledge and mandate, the state government has delivered 14 housing schemes in various parts of the state. “In addition to the ones delivered, there are still other schemes that are virtually ready and waiting in the wings to be released to the people.
“This transformational drive, which is based on the THEMES agenda, is powered by the passion to sustain and surpass the status of excellence already achieved by our dear state. “And it is definitely an allencompassing and continuous work, as can be seen in all areas of endeavour in the state. “This yearning for further improvement is constantly fueled by an innate and unified desire of the leadership to give the best to the people at all times.”
