Lagos governorship candidates clash over housing, flooding, and rent control

Candidates in the Lagos State governorship debate on Sunday disagreed on how to tackle rising rents, lack of affordable housing, and flooding. Their proposals ranged from regulating rents and government-backed housing to improving drainage and protecting wetlands.

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, called for laws to protect tenants from sudden rent hikes. He suggested that landlords should give tenants at least six months' notice before raising rents, with the government setting limits of 20 to 30 percent.

“There must be legislation that ensures that tenants are protected from arbitrary rent increases, at least given six months’ notice before that happens,” Mr Rhodes-Vivour said. He also criticized high fees charged by estate agents. He mentioned a self-contained apartment costing N500,000 a year, but some agents demanded an extra N500,000 in fees.

He proposed a system where tenants could report such practices to the government for investigation. To boost affordable housing, Mr Rhodes-Vivour said his administration would consider financing the completion or renovation of unfinished private buildings. In return, the properties would be offered as affordable rental homes.

This proposal comes as Lagos faces a housing deficit of over 2.7 million units. A report noted that about 34,800 housing units are currently in development.

Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, who hopes to succeed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu with the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the state has already set regulations for estate agents. He added that the priority should be on enforcing these rules.

He mentioned that agents must register with the appropriate government agency and urged residents to report any rule violations through the online platform. Mr Hamzat promised to finish ongoing housing projects, speed up property document processing, and collaborate with private developers to boost housing supply.

He said that developers of luxury homes would be encouraged to include affordable housing in their projects. This mention of existing estate agency regulations is different from the Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill 2025.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the proposed bill aims to tackle issues like advance rent payments, agency fees, and disputes between landlords and tenants. A report stated that the bill is still under review in the state assembly.

Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) argued that the government must take a more direct role in providing affordable housing. He claimed that private developers alone cannot meet the needs of low- and middle-income residents.

“Private sector, you know, will not drive the number of units that are required to do this,” he said. He suggested creating an ombudsman’s office to handle complaints about unfair practices in the property market and pointed to former Governor Lateef Jakande's housing program as a successful government-led initiative.

Mr Doherty also criticized the current government for leaving too much responsibility for essential services like housing and healthcare to private businesses. Deji Doherty of the People Democratic Party (PDP) proposed that the government should rent properties from landlords and then sublet them at affordable rates.

He emphasized that government action is needed because landlords cannot be forced to charge rents that regular workers can afford. He also called for long-term leases and more low-cost housing, questioning how families earning around N120,000 a month can pay rent in Lagos.

Flooding and the environment

The candidates disagreed on the causes of flooding in Lagos and how to fix it. Mr Doherty attributed the flooding partly to climate change and poor drainage management. He called for regular cleaning of drainage channels and proper waste disposal, while acknowledging the government’s efforts to maintain these channels.

The NDC candidate also blamed poor environmental planning, especially the destruction of wetlands, which he described as natural systems that absorb excess rainwater. “Your wetlands are your natural absorptive mechanism in a city like Lagos. That’s what nature has provided for you to soak moisture when rains fall,” he said.

He accused the government of allowing buildings to be constructed on drainage channels and flood-prone areas before later demolishing them. In October, the Lagos State Government warned that destroying wetlands and floodplains could worsen flooding and coastal erosion.

Mr Dowarned of the NDC also questioned if an environmental impact assessment had been done before construction started on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. He insisted that the Lagos State Government must protect residents from environmental risks despite the federal government handling the project.

Mr Hamzat dismissed the criticism, saying an environmental impact assessment was conducted for the coastal road alignment when he was commissioner for works and infrastructure. He said flooding in Lagos is due to its low-lying land, high population density, and increased rainfall.

He noted that rainfall rose from 2.2 meters the previous year to 2.7 meters in 2026, which adds pressure on the drainage system. He said Lagos has a wide drainage network, but its effectiveness relies on keeping channels clear and allowing water to flow into creeks and lagoons. He also defended the removal of buildings blocking waterways.

Rhodes-Vivour suggested a long-term approach to flood management, recommending that Lagos learn from cities like Venice and those in the Netherlands on how to manage water and protect low-lying communities. He criticized the quality of recent road construction, saying some new roads develop potholes after just one rainy season.

“You see a road is done newly. By next year, when the rainy season comes, it’s like you’re playing a computer game, dodging potholes on the road,” he said. He also called for better weather forecasting and early-warning systems to help residents prepare for heavy rainfall. To protect wetlands, he suggested turning some into parks or solar farms to discourage improper reclamation.

Disagreement over coastal highway assessment

The disagreement over the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway focused on whether the environmental assessment for the project covered the current construction route. Mr Doherty of the NDC said he found information from the Bureau of Public Procurement indicating that an environmental impact assessment had not been submitted when the project was presented.

He argued that an assessment done years ago for a different route could not be automatically applied to the current one. However, a notice from the Federal Ministry of Environment showed that a draft Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for Section One of the highway was available for public review on 27 August 2024.

Mr Hamzat insisted that the federal government has the right to carry out the project and confirmed that an assessment was done for the approved alignment during his time as commissioner.