Lagos governorship candidates disagree over rent control, housing, flooding

Candidates in the Lagos State governorship debate on Sunday disagreed over how to address rising rents, the shortage of affordable housing and recurrent flooding, with proposals ranging from rent regulation and government-backed housing to better drainage management and protection of wetlands.

African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour called for legislation to protect tenants from arbitrary rent increases.

He proposed that landlords give tenants at least six months’ notice before increasing rents, with the government setting guidelines to limit increases to between 20 and 30 per cent.

“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 complained about excessive agency and legal fees charged by estate agents. Citing a self-contained apartment with an annual rent of N500,000, he said some agents demanded an additional N500,000 in fees.

He proposed a system that would allow tenants to report such practices to the government for investigation.

To increase the supply of affordable housing, Mr Rhodes-Vivour noted that his administration would consider financing the completion or renovation of unfinished private buildings in exchange for temporary ownership rights. The properties would then be made available as affordable rental accommodation.

The proposal comes against the backdrop of a housing deficit estimated at more than 2.7 million units in Lagos. A report said 34,800 housing units were in the development pipeline.

Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, who is seeking to succeed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stated that the state had already introduced regulations for estate agents and that the focus should now be on enforcing them.

He said agents were required to register with the relevant government agency and urged residents to report those who violated the rules through its online platform.

Mr Hamzat also promised to complete ongoing housing projects, speed up the processing of property documents and work with private developers to increase housing supply.

He said developers of luxury properties would be encouraged to include lower-cost housing in their projects.

His reference to existing estate agency regulations is separate from the Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill 2025.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the proposed bill sought to address issues including advance rent payments, agency fees and disputes between landlords and tenants. A report also stated that the bill was still at the committee stage in the state assembly.

Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) said the government needed to play a more direct role in providing affordable housing, arguing that private developers alone could not 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 proposed an ombudsman’s office to handle complaints about exploitative practices in the property market and cited the housing programme of former Governor Lateef Jakande as an example of government-led intervention.

Mr Doherty also accused the current administration of leaving too much responsibility for essential services, including housing, transport and healthcare, to private businesses.

Deji Doherty of the People Democratic Party (PDP) proposed that the government rent properties from landlords and sublet them to residents at affordable rates. He said government intervention was necessary because landlords could not be compelled to charge rents that ordinary workers could afford.

He also called for long-term leases and more low-cost housing, questioning how residents earning about N120,000 a month could afford accommodation in Lagos.

Flooding and the environment

The candidates also disagreed over the causes of flooding in Lagos and the measures needed to address it.

Mr Doherty blamed the problem partly on climate change and poor drainage management. He called for regular maintenance of drainage channels and proper water disposal, while urging residents to stop dumping refuse into drains. He acknowledged the government’s efforts to clear the channels.

The NDC candidate blamed poor environmental planning, particularly the destruction of wetlands, which he described as natural drainage systems that help absorb excess water during rainfall.

“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 spring up on drainage channels and flood-prone areas before moving to demolish them.

In October, the Lagos State Government warned that the destruction and reclamation of wetlands, floodplains and lagoon fronts could worsen flooding and coastal erosion.

Mr Dowarned of the NDC also questioned whether an environmental impact assessment had been conducted before construction began on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

He said the Lagos State Government had a responsibility to protect residents from environmental risks, even though the federal government was executing the project.

Mr Hamzat rejected the criticism, saying an environmental impact assessment had been conducted for the coastal road alignment when he served as commissioner for works and infrastructure.

He attributed Lagos’s flooding problems to its low-lying geography, population density and increasing rainfall. He said rainfall had risen from 2.2 metres in the previous year to 2.7 metres in 2026, putting additional pressure on the drainage system.

He said Lagos had an extensive drainage network but stressed that its effectiveness depended on keeping the channels clear and allowing water to flow into the creeks and lagoon. He also defended the removal of buildings obstructing waterways.

Rhodes-Vivour called for a longer-term approach to flood management, suggesting that Lagos study how cities such as Venice and those in the Netherlands manage water and protect communities in low-lying areas.

He criticised the quality of road construction and poor maintenance, saying some newly constructed roads developed potholes after the next 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 proposed converting some into parks or solar farms to discourage indiscriminate reclamation.

Disagreement over coastal highway assessment

The disagreement over the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway centred on whether the environmental assessment conducted for the project covered the route currently under construction.

Mr Doherty of the NDC said information he obtained from the Bureau of Public Procurement showed that a due-process report indicated that an environmental impact assessment had not been presented when the project was submitted to the bureau.

He argued that an assessment conducted years earlier for a different alignment could not automatically be treated as the assessment for the current route.

However, a notice published by the Federal Ministry of Environment shows that a draft Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for Section One of the highway, covering the 0–47.5-kilometre stretch, was placed on public display on 27 August 2024 for public review and comments.

Mr Hamzat maintained that the federal government had the authority to execute the project and insisted that an assessment had been conducted for the alignment approved during his tenure as commissioner.