A Professor of Estate Management and Valuation at the University of Lagos, Timothy Nubi, has called for a major shift in Nigeria’s housing policy, urging governments and developers to focus on building sustainable communities rather than simply increasing the number of housing units.
Nubi made the call at the second lecture series of the Folawiyo Entrepreneurship Centre (FEC), Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), held on Wednesday.
The lecture was themed, “Sustainable Estate Development in Nigeria: Building Resilient Communities Through Clean Water, Clean Energy and Innovation.”
The professor argued that Nigeria’s housing challenge is not simply a matter of insufficient housing units. According to him, the crisis also involves affordability, housing quality, inadequate infrastructure, environmental risks and weaknesses in institutional capacity.
He therefore said the success of housing delivery should not be measured solely by the number of houses constructed or settlements cleared.
Rather, he said attention should be given to whether communities remain affordable, functional, inclusive, environmentally responsible and resilient throughout their lifecycle.
“Sustainable estate development should integrate land, buildings, infrastructure, institutions and human communities to create long-term social, economic and environmental value,” Nubi said.
His position has important implications for Nigeria’s approach to urban development. While constructing new housing remains necessary, particularly amid the country’s housing shortage, improving existing communities could also provide a practical way of expanding access to decent housing.
Don seeks greater focus on urban regeneration
Nubi identified urban regeneration and in-situ upgrading as important components of a sustainable housing strategy, particularly for underserved settlements that can still be made safe and resilient.
In-situ upgrading involves improving an existing community without automatically removing its residents. This can include better roads, drainage, water supply, sanitation, electricity, waste management and public spaces.
The approach, Nubi explained, should also incorporate social facilities and the rehabilitation of existing homes.
He advocated what he described as development-led urban management. This, he said, could provide a framework for bringing several aspects of urban development together.
These include land-use planning, infrastructure improvement, environmental management, housing rehabilitation, tenure security, local economic development and community participation.
“In-situ upgrading should be the preferred approach where settlements can be made safe and resilient,” he said.
For residents, the argument is significant because large-scale urban redevelopment can sometimes disrupt communities and livelihoods.
Nubi consequently recommended that upgrading should be phased where possible, allowing residents to remain within their communities while improvements are being carried out.
Where temporary relocation becomes unavoidable, he said affected residents should receive clear information about the process.
They should also receive fair compensation, secure rights to return or suitable accommodation close to their original communities.
Protection of livelihoods should equally form part of any relocation arrangement.
The professor warned that poorly managed urban regeneration could create new problems even when the original objective is community improvement.
He identified land speculation, rising rents, forced displacement and the replacement of low-income residents by wealthier groups as some possible consequences.
To reduce these risks, Nubi recommended tenure regularisation, affordability safeguards, community land arrangements, transparent valuation and inclusive financing.
For property investors and developers, this means that regeneration projects need to consider not only the value of upgraded properties but also the social consequences for existing residents.
Sustainability should be assessed through lifecycle costs
Nubi also challenged the perception that sustainable development is simply an additional expense for property developers.
He argued that the financial benefits of sustainable infrastructure should be assessed over the entire lifecycle of a property rather than only at the construction stage.
According to him, responsible infrastructure and environmentally sustainable systems could reduce expenses associated with energy consumption, water supply, infrastructure failure, flood damage, maintenance and environmental degradation.
They could also help preserve property values over time.
“Sustainable estate development can therefore create value through reduced operating costs, improved reliability, enhanced resilience and the preservation of long-term asset value,” he said.
The argument is particularly relevant to Nigeria, where flooding, unreliable infrastructure, high energy costs and rising maintenance expenses continue to affect property owners and residents.
Nubi called for coordinated action among government agencies, developers, financial institutions, professional bodies, communities, technology providers and educational institutions.
He said government has a responsibility to provide effective spatial planning, efficient development approvals, infrastructure coordination, environmental regulation, building standards and appropriate financial frameworks.
The private sector, he added, should contribute investment, innovation and infrastructure provision.
YABATECH links entrepreneurship to practical development
Earlier, the Rector of YABATECH, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, urged students and staff to use entrepreneurship, innovation and practical knowledge to develop solutions to Nigeria’s environmental and developmental challenges.
He explained that the lecture series was designed to expand the institution’s entrepreneurial activities while exposing students and staff to practical aspects of enterprise.
Abdul said the establishment of the Folawiyo Entrepreneurship Centre through the generosity of Chief Tunde Fanimokun, in honour of his benefactor, Chief Iyanda Olayinka Folawiyo, represented an important contribution to YABATECH’s institutional vision.
He noted that Folawiyo had established an entrepreneurial legacy spanning trading, oil and gas, energy, shipping, agriculture and real estate.
The centre, he said, was drawing from that legacy to provide practical entrepreneurial exposure for members of the college community.
Abdul also explained that the FEC open market sales, which provides a platform for trading and enterprise within the college, formed the foundation of the centre’s first annual lecture series.
He said the current focus on real estate development was particularly relevant because it introduced another major aspect of the Folawiyo business legacy into the academic and entrepreneurial space.
“Contemporary real estate development must go beyond the construction of physical structures to address quality of life, environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, access to clean water and the creation of resilient communities,” he said.
He also commended the alignment of the programme with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 6, 7 and 11.
These goals focus on clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, and sustainable cities and communities respectively.
Fanimokun urges students to embrace entrepreneurship
The Chairman of the Folawiyo Entrepreneurship Centre, YABATECH, Chief Tunde Fanimokun, also urged students to embrace entrepreneurship, describing it as important for sustainability, individual development and wealth creation.
He encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunities and knowledge provided by the centre to broaden their perspectives and prepare for their careers.
Fanimokun drew from his personal experience, explaining that he entered the Folawiyo business empire after retiring from the civil service without prior knowledge of entrepreneurship.
“I took up the challenge at Folawiyo Empire without the knowledge of entrepreneurship after my retirement from the civil service. The Folawiyo encounter turned around my life,” he said.
He said entrepreneurship could provide more than financial independence, stressing its role in personal development and long-term sustainability.
Fanimokun described real estate as one of the major avenues for wealth creation and encouraged students to explore opportunities in the sector while pursuing areas they genuinely enjoy.
“One of the golden gates of wealth is real estate. You need to do something that you enjoy,” he said.
He expressed optimism that some of the students would return to YABATECH in the future to contribute to the institution and wider society.
He also identified vision and strategy as essential ingredients for success, urging students to establish clear goals and strategic plans.
“The universal success formula is vision, vision and strategy, which will give you success in life,” he said.
Centre seeks funding and mentorship for student ideas
The Director of the Entrepreneurship Centre, YABATECH, Dr Funmilayo Adeoye, challenged students to move beyond generating innovative ideas and develop them into sustainable enterprises capable of solving real-world problems.
She said the centre was working to create a platform where promising ideas could receive funding, mentorship, expertise and industry partnerships needed to become viable businesses.
Adeoye called on entrepreneurs, investors and industry partners to identify promising ideas from students’ presentations and support them through funding, mentorship and collaboration.
“Our inspiration is to create a platform where promising ideas can be built on the support and expertise required to develop new enterprises that bring value and solve real problems in our society,” she said.
The programme also featured awards for staff and students who emerged winners of the centre’s pitchathon business idea competition.
Overall, the lecture placed Nigeria’s housing crisis within a broader development framework, highlighting the need to connect housing delivery with infrastructure, environmental sustainability, affordability, community participation and economic opportunity.