Lagos candidates divide over rent controls, housing supply and flood prevention

Candidates in Lagos’s 2027 governorship election have clashed over how to address rent increases, the shortage of affordable homes and recurrent flooding during a televised debate in the state. The discussion exposed different views on how much responsibility should be carried by government, private developers and residents themselves. The debate, organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium in Lagos, featured Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress, APC candidate Obafemi Hamzat, Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Deji Doherty of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Hamzat, the state’s deputy governor, defended the record and plans of the APC administration, while the opposition candidates criticised its priorities. Rhodes-Vivour proposed legislation requiring landlords to give tenants at least six months’ notice before raising rents. He said increases should be guided by limits of between 20 and 30 per cent and complained that tenants also faced excessive agency and legal charges.

He cited the example of a self-contained apartment with an annual rent of N500,000 where an agent demanded another N500,000 in fees. He also promised more than 100,000 housing units and suggested that government could finance the completion or renovation of unfinished private buildings in exchange for temporary ownership rights. The properties could then be used as affordable rental accommodation.

Premium Times placed Lagos’s housing deficit at more than 2.7 million units, with 34,800 units reported to be in the development pipeline. Hamzat said existing regulation of estate agents should be enforced rather than replaced. He said agents were required to register with the relevant government agency and that residents could report violations online.

He also promised to complete housing projects, accelerate property documentation, encourage luxury developers to include lower-cost homes and expand mortgage access. The candidates also differed over direct government intervention. Funso Doherty argued that private developers alone could not produce enough homes for low- and middle-income residents and proposed an ombudsman to handle complaints.

Deji Doherty suggested that the government rent properties from landlords and sublet them at affordable rates, alongside longer leases and more low-cost housing. He questioned how workers earning about N120,000 a month could afford Lagos accommodation. Flooding produced an equally sharp disagreement.

Funso Doherty attributed it partly to climate change, poor drainage maintenance and waste disposal, while also warning that wetlands were being destroyed even though they acted as natural areas for absorbing excess rainwater. He criticised the approval of buildings on drainage channels and flood-prone land. Hamzat, by contrast, described the state’s drainage network as “fantastic” and said the priority was to keep channels clear so water could flow into the creeks.

Transport and waste management also featured in the debate. Hamzat outlined a multimodal plan involving rail, roads and waterways, including 4,000 compressed natural gas buses intended to move one million passengers daily and 77 electric ferries. Rhodes-Vivour called for a cleaner, safer and more affordable Lagos, while Deji Doherty said waste collection remained inadequate.

The debate left voters with competing promises, but no single consensus on how the state should balance regulation, public spending and private investment.