…assures 100,000 New Entrepreneurs Yearly
Eniola Yekini
Lagos State governorship candidate of the All Peoples Movement (APM), Prince Laja Adeoye, has faulted the Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, over his recent remarks on the state’s housing crisis, describing them as an “admission of failure” by the ruling party.
Hamzat, in an interview this week, advised residents struggling with high rents to consider sharing apartments or continuing to live with their parents while improving their financial capacity.
But Adeoye, in a statement issued on Saturday, rejected the advice, arguing that it offered no solution to Lagos’ housing challenges after nearly three decades of APC rule.
“The solution to Lagos State’s housing crisis is not to tell residents to share apartments or continue living with their parents.
“That is not leadership, it is an admission of failure by the ruling APC, who has been at the saddle for nearly three decades, which Mr Obafemi Hamzat has been part and parcel of as an insider,” he said.
The APM candidate called for a deliberate government-backed housing programme involving direct public investment and genuine public-private partnerships to provide affordable homes for residents.
Adeoye also cited the housing initiatives of the late former Lagos State governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, as evidence that large-scale affordable housing could be achieved with political will.
“Alhaji Lateef Jakande showed it is possible. It is not rocket science. We only need the will to modernise and build on that proven approach,” he said.
He linked Lagos’ housing crisis to unemployment and inadequate household incomes, saying his administration would empower at least 100,000 new entrepreneurs every year with seed capital.
“Lagos has the market and the population for these businesses to scale quickly. When people earn well, they can afford decent homes of their own without being forced to crowd into family houses or share cramped apartments,” Adeoye said.
He maintained that government should focus on solving problems rather than finding ways for residents to cope with worsening living conditions.
“Governance is not about managing scarcity with lazy advice. It is about solving problems with clear, workable solutions,” he added.
Adeoye further accused the APC administration of prioritising political interests over people-oriented housing projects.
“The ruling APC which Mr Hamzat represents will rather not do pro-people housing projects but do the bidding of his godfathers. An APM government in Lagos and in Nigeria will bring good governance to your doorstep, you will see the difference clearly,” he said.
Lagos State is facing a significant housing shortage, with the state government estimating the deficit at more than 2.5 million units. Rising rents have forced many residents to relocate to communities on the outskirts of the state in search of more affordable accommodation.
Housing costs have also continued to rise in major areas of Lagos, with annual rents for two-bedroom apartments in parts of Ikeja and Surulere reportedly ranging from N1.2 million to N2.5 million.
Experts have attributed the housing shortage to rapid population growth, rising construction costs, inflation and limited access to affordable mortgage financing.
Hamzat’s remarks have also generated criticism on social media, with some residents describing the suggestion that people share apartments or remain with their parents as insensitive amid the rising cost of living.
With the 2027 governorship election approaching, housing affordability is expected to remain a major campaign issue as opposition parties seek to make the state’s housing crisis and rising rents central to their campaigns.