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GO BACK HOME?” NO. LET’S TALK FACTS: WHY DG HAMZAT’S ADVICE ON HOUSING IS PRACTICAL, NOT SURRENDER

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HAMZAT

Sola Fajobi argues that Lagos’ housing pressures require more homes, stronger transport links and regional planning rather than outrage over shared accommodation advice

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I don’t like shouting matches online. I have bills to pay in Lagos like everyone else.

Also read: GO BACK HOME?” NO. LET’S TALK FACTS: WHY DG HAMZAT’S ADVICE ON HOUSING IS PRACTICAL, NOT SURRENDER*

But when I saw the backlash to Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat’s comment advising young workers to “live with parents, relatives, or share accommodation instead of rushing to rent expensive apartments,” I felt we were missing the point.

The headline was weaponized. The context was ignored. The data was buried.

Let’s talk facts.

*1. THE REALITY: LAGOS HAS A LAND PROBLEM, NOT JUST A POLICY PROBLEM*

Lagos is not like other states. We are running out of dry land.

*Lagos State Land & Housing Deficit – Quick Facts:*
– *Total land area*: ∼3,577 sq km. With reclamation it’s now ∼4,050 sq km
– *Lagos Metro land*: 999.6 sq km
– *Population 2025 estimate*: 17.8M in metro. 21M for greater metro area
– *Density*: 6,871/km2. Urban density hits 14,469/km2

That means 21 million people are fighting for space on land smaller than Oyo State. About 22% of Lagos is water. We can’t create more land without spending billions on reclamation like Eko Atlantic, Orange Island, and Banana Island — and those end up expensive by design.

Result: A housing deficit estimated at 2-3 million units. Demand will always outstrip supply until we address land + transportation.

So is telling people to “share accommodation” surrender? No. It’s what every mega city does.

*2. WHAT THE DG SAID IS ALREADY GLOBAL BEST PRACTICE*

London: A 1-bedroom in Zone 1 is £1,500 – £2,500/month. That’s ₦3M – ₦5M/month. So people live in Watford, Luton, Reading and commute 1hr+ by train.

New York: Young professionals have 3-4 “roommates” in a 2-bedroom in Manhattan/Brooklyn.

Toronto, Dubai, Singapore: Shared housing and living with family into your late 20s is normal.

The DG wasn’t saying “don’t be independent.” He was saying: “Be strategic while the system catches up.” That’s not failure. That’s financial intelligence.

Mistaking culture for policy is what critics did. But the truth is: sharing flats, living with family to save, and moving to affordable corridors is _both_ a personal strategy and a stop-gap that governments worldwide encourage.

*3. WHAT LAGOS GOVERNMENT IS ACTUALLY DOING ON HOUSING*

To say “there is no plan” is to ignore what’s on ground. The Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat administration has been the most aggressive on housing in 10 years:

*A. MASS HOUSING DELIVERY*

– *Lagos State Rent-to-Own & Rental Schemes*: Schemes in Igbogbo, Sangotedo, Iponri, Odo-Onosa/Ayandelu to reduce upfront burden.
– *Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme – LAGSHOM*: Subsidized mortgages for civil servants and private sector workers.
– *Public-Private Partnerships*: Over 20,000 housing units delivered or ongoing across the state.

*B. FIXING THE “YEARLY RENT” PROBLEM*

The Lagos Tenancy Law already caps agency/legals and encourages monthly, quarterly, half-yearly rent. Enforcement is the challenge, and LASRERA is currently clamping down on violators.

*C. THE REAL GAME CHANGER: TRANSPORT*

This is where the DG’s thinking makes sense. You don’t fix housing in Lagos by only building in Lagos Island. You fix it by making Badagry, Epe, Ikorodu, and border towns in Ogun viable.

– *Blue Line Rail*: Operational. Red Line: 80%+ complete.
– *Green & Yellow Lines*: In planning/procurement.
– *Goal*: Live in Badagry, work on Lagos Island, and get to work in <1 hour.

When that happens, land pressure reduces. Rents drop. This is exactly what London, Tokyo, and Paris did.

*4. THE MISSING PIECE: REGIONAL SOLUTION*

Lagos cannot do this alone. We need Ogun and Oyo to play.

Imagine: 100,000 housing units built along the Berger-Magboro-Abeokuta corridor with direct BRT/Rail links to Lagos. Ogun provides land. Lagos provides jobs. People win.

That’s the regional megacity model that works globally. The DG and Governor have been pushing this in the DAWN Commission and with the Ogun State Government.

*5. SO WHAT SHOULD LEADERSHIP SAY?*

Here’s what leadership _is_ saying, and what the DG meant:

“We know rent is high. We are building thousands of housing units. We are enforcing rent laws. We are building rail so you can live affordably outside the core.

While we do that, be smart: share accommodation, live with family to save, and don’t trap yourself in debt chasing a postcode.”

That is not “go back home.” That is “let’s build the ladder together.”

*CONCLUSION: CRITICIZE WITH SOLUTIONS, NOT SOUNDBITES*

I’m not in government. I’m a Lagosian paying rent too. I know the pain.

But we must separate frustration from facts. The housing crisis in Lagos is a math problem: too many people, too little dry land, too slow transport.

The answer isn’t vibes. It’s: more housing + cheaper rent options + working trains + regional planning.

That’s what this administration is working on. And that’s why I believe DG Hamzat, who has a background in urban planning and finance, is the right person to continue this work as the next Governor.

We don’t need recycled outrage. We need builders.

Also read: Hamzat to Chair, Adebule Special Guest as TheGazelleNews Honours BKO, Antar Laniyan on Wednesday

Let’s build the ladder.

 

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Obasa Flags Off Agege APC Campaign With Mega Rally

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The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, has flagged off the All Progressives Congress campaign in Agege Federal Constituency with a mega rally at Amoo Field, Orile Agege.

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The rally, held on Wednesday, September 30, brought together APC leaders, party members, traditional and religious leaders, trade associations, artisans and representatives of different communities in the area.

Obasa, who is the APC candidate for the Agege Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives, urged supporters to take the party’s campaign to homes, markets, artisan groups, places of worship and community associations ahead of the general election.

Addressing the gathering, he said the party should not be satisfied with a narrow victory but should seek to improve on its previous electoral performance.

“Let us join hands and make sure we deliver. It is not just about victory; we must surpass our previous votes. Sound it loud to everybody, all trade associations, artisans, tribes, religious and traditional leaders. We have the numbers, and we will pour it into the APC,” Obasa said.

He called on supporters to mobilise votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC governorship candidate in Lagos, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, the Lagos West senatorial candidate, Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule, and himself in the Agege Federal Constituency.

Obasa said the campaign message should reach different sections of the constituency before election day, with supporters expected to engage residents and encourage them to participate in the electoral process.

He also described the turnout at the rally as an indication of support and cohesion within the party in Agege.

“Agege is always one. And we will continue to be one. There is nothing wrong with our party in Agege,” he said, while dismissing opposition voices and rumours about the party’s structure in the area.

The Speaker also urged party members and supporters to avoid conflict during the campaign, stressing that voters should be allowed to choose their preferred representatives.

“We must try to avoid conflict, because at the end of the day, the people will vote for their representatives, the people they truly want. Nobody can force anyone on the people,” he said.

Obasa’s remarks come as political parties intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the general election, with Agege remaining an important constituency in Lagos’s political landscape.

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City Boy Movement Hails Tinubu’s Reforms at 66

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The Lagos State chapter of the City Boy Movement has felicitated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigerians and Lagos residents on the occasion of the country’s 66th Independence anniversary, praising the administration’s economic and youth-focused reforms.

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In a goodwill message issued by the movement’s Lagos director, Barrister Moyosore Ogunlewe, the group said the Tinubu administration had recorded progress in infrastructure, economic diversification, youth empowerment and governance since assuming office.

Ogunlewe, who also serves as Zonal Director, Youth Mobilisation, South-West of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, acknowledged that the President was not perfect but argued that his administration had demonstrated the political will to tackle some of the country’s longstanding challenges.

“Like no one is perfect, President Tinubu is not perfect. Nevertheless, he has remained a kind-hearted leader with an exceptional eye for talents, putting round pegs in round holes,” he said.

He added that, in his view, the administration had demonstrated “vision and foresight” through the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The movement highlighted several youth-focused initiatives, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, 3 Million Technical Talent programme, Technical and Vocational Education and Training initiatives, NiYA, YouthCred, CrediCorp, the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund, iDICE and programmes implemented through SMEDAN.

Some of these initiatives have been publicly identified by the Federal Government as part of its efforts to expand access to education, digital skills, technical training, entrepreneurship and financing for young Nigerians. The government said in September that it was also targeting five million young Nigerians through skills acquisition and empowerment programmes under its National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy.

Ogunlewe also cited the administration’s electricity-sector reforms, data protection legislation, economic reforms and investments in healthcare and education as areas where he said the government had made progress.

He described the removal of petrol subsidy as a bold decision, arguing that it had reduced opportunities for corruption and freed government resources for development.

The subsidy removal, along with foreign exchange and other fiscal reforms, has remained one of the most significant and controversial parts of the Tinubu administration’s economic programme. While the government has argued that the measures were necessary to stabilise the economy, the reforms have also contributed to significant cost-of-living pressures, with the International Monetary Fund acknowledging improved macroeconomic outcomes while noting that conditions remain difficult for many Nigerians.

On the economy, Ogunlewe said the reforms were attracting investment, supporting job creation and laying the foundation for diversification.

The Presidency has similarly pointed to economic growth, improved external reserves, increased investment and reforms in the foreign exchange, fiscal and financial sectors as signs of progress. In the second quarter of 2026, Nigeria’s economy recorded 4.43 per cent year-on-year growth, according to figures cited by the President.

On security, the City Boy Movement said the administration had strengthened intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration while implementing social intervention programmes aimed at reducing hardship.

Ogunlewe also linked his assessment of Tinubu’s administration to his experience at the grassroots, saying he had learnt from the President’s approach to governance while bringing government closer to residents in Kosofe Local Government.

“I have learned a great deal from our President by bringing governance to our people in Kosofe Local Government – transparency, timely service delivery and cost-effectiveness,” he said.

The Lagos chapter of the movement was inaugurated in July with a stated focus on youth and grassroots mobilisation. At the inauguration, Ogunlewe said the organisation intended to promote youth participation, national unity and civic engagement beyond electoral campaigns.

The group has also openly positioned itself as a supporter of Tinubu’s administration and its 2027 re-election bid. The movement’s national leadership previously told the Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, that it was committed to mobilising support for the administration’s programmes and initiatives.

As Nigeria marks 66 years of independence, Ogunlewe called for continuity of the administration’s policies, saying he believed Tinubu’s record warranted another term in office.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the best for a united Nigeria at this critical point in our 66-year history. He deserves our full support for a second term to secure a brighter future and the continuity of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.

The statement was signed by Hon. Kanbi Owolabi, Assistant Director, Print Media, City Boy Movement, Lagos State Chapter.

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NNPC, Dangote and Other Major Partners Back GOCOP’s 2027 Elections Conference

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NNPC, NLNG, Customs and Dangote are among partners for the GOCOP 2026 conference on 8 October in Lagos, themed around the 2027 elections (more…)

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