Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has said that Nigeria’s long-standing housing deficit can be solved if governments demonstrate the political will to unlock land and deliver infrastructure through strong public-private partnerships.
Osinbajo stated this on Tuesday in Lagos while delivering the keynote address at the Wemabod Real Estate Outlook Conference 2026, themed “From Bodija to the Future: Unlocking Land and Infrastructure for Inclusive Housing – A Regional Agenda.”
He described housing as “not just a commodity, but the cornerstone of socio-economic transformation,” stressing that inclusive housing would remain impossible if land and infrastructure were left entirely to market forces.
“Housing is not simply a product for those who can afford it. It is the foundation of equity, collective prosperity and human dignity. If government does not intervene deliberately, inclusive housing simply cannot exist,” Osinbajo said.
Drawing lessons from the historic Bodija Housing Estate in Ibadan, Osinbajo explained that inclusive housing was achievable when planning, infrastructure and land governance were coordinated.
“Bodija was not just a housing project; it was a development strategy. Land was assembled, infrastructure was provided first, and housing followed. That model proved that affordability and social mix are possible when government leads with vision,” he said.
He lamented that the failure was not in the Bodija model itself, but in its non-replication across the South-West and Nigeria.
“The failure was not design; it was non-replication. If similar estates had been developed consistently across the region, we would today have networks of inclusive communities instead of fragmented, exclusionary developments,” he added.
Osinbajo argued that land scarcity in South-West cities is “institutional, not physical,” pointing to fragmented ownership, slow titling processes and speculative land banking as major barriers to affordable housing. He also identified infrastructure failure as the biggest cost driver.
“Infrastructure is the hidden subsidy of affordable housing. When households must provide their own water, roads, drainage and power, affordability collapses. Government controls land and can provide infrastructure. If the political will exists, states can deliver housing,” he said.
He proposed structured public-private partnerships where governments provide land and trunk infrastructure, while private developers bring capital and execution capacity, making mixed-income housing commercially viable.
In his welcome address, Managing Director of Wemabod Limited, Bashir Oladunni, said inclusive housing could not be delivered by a single stakeholder.
“Housing is not merely a social obligation; it is the foundation of economic productivity and social stability. Unlocking land and infrastructure is the pathway to scale, affordability and access,” he said.
Oladunni described Regional Development Commissions as “critical institutional platforms” capable of aggregating land, coordinating infrastructure and de-risking large-scale housing corridors.
“When land is unlocked efficiently, infrastructure is planned deliberately and institutions collaborate effectively, inclusive housing in Nigeria is not only possible, it is inevitable,” he added.
Chairman of Wemabod Limited, Engineer Nureni Adisa, said Nigeria must move beyond fragmented urban growth models to a coordinated regional development approach.
“Our cities face a paradox of growth and deepening inequality. Sustainable growth is impossible without inclusive housing, and inclusive housing is impossible without unlocking land and infrastructure through a regional agenda,” Adisa said.
He stressed that housing markets do not respect state boundaries, calling for inter-state collaboration in planning, land use and infrastructure development.
“We must think and act regionally if we are to build connected, resilient and liveable communities,” he added.
Group Chairman of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, said the housing crisis requires coordinated policy and institutional reform.
“Housing sits at the intersection of economic inclusion, urban productivity and social stability. Unlocking land, reforming land administration and delivering infrastructure are policy-driven challenges that demand strong public–private collaboration,” Ashiru said.
The conference, which brought together policymakers, developers, financiers and urban development experts, concluded with a strong consensus that inclusive housing in Nigeria is achievable — not as charity, but as a development strategy — if governments lead with clear policies, land reform, infrastructure investment and credible partnerships with the private sector.
Similarly, Group Managing Director of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Abdulrahman Yinusa, said real estate development must go beyond commercial returns.
“Real estate must deliver lasting social and economic value. Aligning land administration, infrastructure investment and housing delivery is critical to achieving inclusive and productive urban growth,”
