By Muhammad Mamman
Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged Nigerian states to return to deliberate, government-driven urban planning and prioritise infrastructure provision as the foundation for sustainable and inclusive housing, warning that the current model of privately led, gated estates is deepening social exclusion and urban sprawl.
Speaking at the Real Estate Outlook 2026 conference organised by Wemabod Limited in Lagos on Tuesday, Osinbajo drew inspiration from the historic Bodija Estate in Ibadan – a 1960s planned neighbourhood that successfully integrated mixed-income residents through thoughtful design, enforced planning standards and early infrastructure delivery.
He described Bodija as a model of intentional state intervention: low-rise density with green spaces, proximity to jobs and services, social mixing across professions, and infrastructure treated as a public good rather than a private cost passed on to residents.
“Teachers lived near civil servants, skilled workers shared streets with professionals. Social integration was designed, not accidental,” Osinbajo said.
The former vice president criticised the shift since the late 1980s towards market-driven development, which he said has produced homogeneous, high-cost estates on city fringes, longer commutes, higher living costs and social segregation.
To reverse this trend, he advocated three core reforms:
• State-led master planning and land assembly – Governments should act as strategic planners, delivering large-scale, mixed-income estates every decade in line with regional growth.
• Infrastructure-first approach – Roads, drainage, water, electricity, schools and community facilities must be provided upfront by the state as a subsidy for affordability, rather than burdening households and inflating prices.
• Mandatory inclusionary zoning – Large developments should be required to allocate a portion of units for affordable and social housing, supported by public-private partnerships offering land, bulk infrastructure, fast-track approvals and enforcement in exchange for private sector capital and delivery.
Osinbajo stressed that affordable housing is impossible without lowering the broader cost of living, including transport and utilities.
He called for enhanced housing finance mechanisms tailored to real incomes – including flexible options for informal workers – and the digitisation of land records to tackle speculation and fragmentation.
Citing Borno State’s construction of nearly 15,000 housing units in under four years despite fiscal constraints, he insisted that political will, not resources alone, is the decisive factor.
“It is entirely possible [to achieve inclusive housing]. It is a matter of priority and political will,” he concluded.
Nigeria faces a housing deficit estimated at over 20 million units, with rapid urbanisation, land speculation and high construction costs continuing to push homeownership out of reach for millions, particularly low- and middle-income families. Osinbajo’s remarks come amid ongoing national debates on sustainable urban growth and the effectiveness of public housing initiatives.
