Lagos stays considered one of Nigeria’s most energetic property improvement markets, fuelled by inhabitants progress, rising housing demand and the enlargement of its city centres.
But behind the town’s rising skyline is a property market formed by advanced land preparations, rising improvement bills and the problem of offering houses and neighbourhoods that meet the wants of a various inhabitants.
As the town expands, questions round the price of growing property, entry to reasonably priced housing and the standard of city infrastructure have turn into more and more vital.
Developers should navigate a market the place the calls for of development, regulation and concrete progress intersect, whereas the results of poor planning can prolong past particular person tasks to have an effect on complete communities.
In an unique interview with Nairametrics, Tpl. Godfrey C. Aniebo, Managing Director and Co-founder of Goania Project Limited, a Lagos-based city planning consultancy, shares his perspective on the realities of property improvement in Lagos.
He discusses the monetary and planning issues developers want to grasp, the problem of creating housing extra accessible, and the broader city improvement points shaping the town’s future. The dialog additionally explores the necessity for better-planned neighbourhoods and the position of efficient improvement management in constructing a extra habitable Lagos.
Nairametrics: From your expertise at Goania Project Limited, what are the largest costs and challenges developers typically underestimate when planning a mission in Lagos?
Tpl. Godfrey C. Aniebo: As a co-founder of Goania Project Limited, I’ve noticed that developers typically underestimate a number of costs when planning tasks in Lagos.
Title perfection is without doubt one of the first. Developers have to account for the price of excision, Certificates of Occupancy, e-GIS searches and title validation. Purchasing unverified household land may expose developers to disputes that will turn into costly to resolve.
Planning approvals are one other main value. EPPPS submissions, skilled charges, environmental assessments, drainage research and site visitors influence assessments all require money and time. Developers who don’t issue these into their budgets from the start could face sudden bills and delays.
Drainage and sand-filling are notably vital in areas corresponding to Ibeju-Lekki, the place floor situations can require substantial filling and cautious consideration to setbacks.
Community engagement is one other space that developers typically overlook. Unresolved obligations and casual calls for can create disputes, making correct agreements with host communities important.
Developers should additionally account for compliance penalties arising from breaches of planning, environmental and constructing rules. Inflation presents one other problem, as rising costs of cement, diesel and labour can have an effect on mission margins, notably the place houses have already been presold.
Finally, post-sales administration can create further costs by means of purchaser disputes, documentation gaps and property administration obligations.
At Goania, we suggest utilizing an EPPPS pre-launch compliance guidelines to confirm land titles, approvals, infrastructure budgets and group agreements earlier than advertising or gross sales start. In actual property, profitability begins with preparation, not gross sales.
Nairametrics: Despite the variety of new developments throughout Lagos, many residents nonetheless battle to afford respectable housing. What wants to vary in how houses are deliberate and developed to make them extra accessible?
Tpl. Godfrey C. Aniebo: The drawback will not be a scarcity of homes, however a scarcity of correctly deliberate, reasonably priced housing.
Most new developments in Lagos goal high-income earners. We want practical studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats that lecturers, younger professionals and {couples} can afford, with room to develop over time.
High approval costs additionally improve housing costs. When Layout Approval, EIA and Planning Permits from MPP&UD/LASPPPA take months and value tens of millions, developers move these bills to consumers. Faster, automated EPPPS approvals may also help cut back costs.
Developers additionally bear important infrastructure costs, together with sand-filling, roads and drainage. Government-led infrastructure improvement in Ibeju-Lekki, Epe and Ikorodu would scale back improvement costs and enhance affordability.
Adopting domestically sourced supplies and sooner development applied sciences can additional decrease constructing costs.
Finally, accessible Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) and single-digit mortgage charges are important. Without safe land titles and reasonably priced financing, many residents can’t entry mortgages or use their land as collateral.
Affordability should be constructed into housing from day one by means of environment friendly design, shared infrastructure, streamlined approvals and accessible mortgage financing.
Nairametrics: Following Lagos State’s plans to develop a 16,300-hectare master-planned group round Ito-Omu, Sangotedo and Ibeju-Lekki, what are the important thing planning issues for integrating present communities, housing, transport hyperlinks and important infrastructure right into a practical new city?
Tpl. Godfrey C. Aniebo: The proposed improvement presents a chance to handle unplanned city sprawl alongside the Lekki hall. However, its success will rely upon how properly present communities are built-in into the brand new city.
Indigenous settlements shouldn’t merely be displaced or remoted. Their integration requires the availability of infrastructure, tenure safety and applicable buffers, whereas recognising present group constructions.
Housing also needs to be deliberate to accommodate totally different revenue teams. A balanced mixture of low-, medium- and high-density developments is important, with not less than 40% of housing focused at reasonably priced and incremental housing choices.
Transport planning should be thought-about from the outset. This contains an interconnected street community, hyperlinks to the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge, and reserved corridors for BRT and rail providers. Walkability also needs to be prioritised to scale back dependence on personal autos.
Essential infrastructure corresponding to water provide, unbiased energy, wastewater remedy and stormwater administration should be deliberate alongside housing. Environmental influence assessments and the safety of wetlands are equally vital, as is efficient improvement management.
The goal needs to be to create a practical, inclusive and sustainable metropolis, somewhat than one other residential property.
Nairametrics: In some elements of Lagos, developers are constructing multi-storey residence blocks on comparatively small plots, leaving restricted house for parking, greenery and different shared amenities. How can planners accommodate rising housing demand with out compromising residents’ high quality of life?
Tpl. Godfrey C. Aniebo: This is a rising concern in high-demand areas corresponding to Yaba, Surulere, Ikoyi, Lekki and Ikeja GRA. While higher-density improvement is important to accommodate Lagos’ rising inhabitants, extreme improvement on particular person plots can undermine residents’ high quality of life.
Planning authorities should implement rules on plot protection, setbacks, pure lighting and air flow. Development approvals also needs to be linked to the capability of present infrastructure, together with parking, drainage, roads and utilities. Traffic influence assessments are vital the place proposed developments may place further stress on surrounding roads.
Density needs to be concentrated alongside public transport corridors, whereas established low-density neighbourhoods are protected. Developers also needs to present satisfactory shared amenities and inexperienced areas. Where rules allow, incentives corresponding to further floor-area allowances could possibly be thought-about for developments that present public facilities, inexperienced areas or consolidate plots.
Lagos wants to maneuver from plot-by-plot approvals to area-based planning. Higher density should include proportionate infrastructure, parking, inexperienced areas and public facilities.
Nairametrics: As improvement expands into reclaimed and beforehand undeveloped areas of Lagos, what planning and security checks needs to be carried out to make sure buildings are appropriate for the land and protected for future occupants?
Tpl. Godfrey C. Aniebo: Reclaimed areas corresponding to Banana Island, Eko Atlantic, Orange Island and elements of the Ibeju-Lekki axis require cautious planning and engineering controls. Development on these websites should account for floor settlement, flooding and soil liquefaction.
Before development begins, developers ought to conduct site-specific geotechnical and environmental assessments. These ought to embody borehole investigations, Cone Penetration Tests (CPT), Standard Penetration Tests (SPT) and consolidation evaluation to determine floor situations, groundwater ranges, settlement dangers and flood publicity. Environmental Impact Assessments also needs to be carried out the place relevant.
Foundation designs should replicate the findings of those investigations. Depending on the bottom situations, this might contain piled or raft foundations. The placement and compaction of fill supplies also needs to be correctly monitored, with unbiased quality-control checks.
Developers should contemplate minimal flooring elevations, drainage and hydrological assessments to account for tidal flooding and storm surges. Materials testing, staged development inspections, regulatory certification and applicable insurance coverage are additionally vital.
Development on reclaimed land needs to be guided by scientific investigation, sound engineering and efficient enforcement, not merely the location of sand.
Nairametrics: Flooding stays a serious drawback in lots of elements of Lagos. To what extent do poor improvement practices and insufficient drainage planning contribute to the issue, and what approaches may assist enhance flood administration?
Tpl. Godfrey C. Aniebo: Flooding throughout Lagos, from Ikeja to Lekki and Ajegunle, is pushed by heavy rainfall and worsened by poor improvement practices and insufficient infrastructure planning.
One main drawback is the encroachment on waterways, wetlands and drainage rights-of-way. Some estates are developed with out complete drainage grasp plans that join their inside drainage techniques to major channels. Undersized drains, extreme paving that reduces pure water infiltration, and waste or particles blocking drainage channels and unapproved culverts additionally contribute to flooding.
Building approvals needs to be linked to the State Drainage Master Plan and environmental rules. Drainage corridors should be protected and restored by means of lawful enforcement supported by GIS mapping.
Developers and property house owners also needs to undertake sustainable city drainage techniques, together with permeable paving, retention ponds, inexperienced areas and rainwater harvesting. Better coordination amongst planning, drainage and waste administration companies is equally vital. Drainage channels should be frequently maintained and desilted, notably earlier than the wet season.
Flooding might not be eradicated fully, however its influence could be considerably diminished by means of higher planning, infrastructure and upkeep.
Nairametrics: What enhancements may make the method of acquiring planning approvals in Lagos extra environment friendly and clear, whereas additionally encouraging developers to comply with authorized plans and constructing rules?
Tpl. Godfrey C. Aniebo: Lagos wants to maneuver from a punitive method to preventive enforcement and from handbook processes to digital techniques.
A unified e-planning portal that integrates planning, constructing management, hearth security and drainage approvals would make the method extra environment friendly. It ought to present a typical guidelines, utility monitoring and clear processing timelines.
Standardised price calculators primarily based on location, flooring space and constructing use would additionally enhance transparency. Verified cost channels can cut back discretion and the actions of touts. Open entry to GIS-based zoning maps would assist developers perceive relevant land-use necessities earlier than committing sources.
Authorities also needs to contemplate sooner processing and incentives for developers who persistently adjust to rules, whereas sustaining efficient enforcement towards violations. Professional authentication and accountability are crucial to make sure that submitted plans meet the required requirements.
A clear approval course of builds belief and encourages compliance.
Nairametrics: As Lagos continues to develop, what are the largest planning issues that want pressing consideration, and what adjustments would assist create higher, extra habitable neighbourhoods over the subsequent 5 to 10 years?
Tpl. Godfrey C. Aniebo: Lagos’ largest planning problem is that we’re constructing homes, not full neighbourhoods.
One main concern is unplanned densification, the place present bungalows are changed with multi-storey residence buildings with out corresponding enhancements in infrastructure. Floor-area ratio limits and correct influence assessments are crucial to make sure that improvement doesn’t exceed the capability of surrounding neighbourhoods.
Flooding is one other pressing concern. The lack of wetlands, encroachment on waterways and extreme paving have elevated the stress on drainage techniques. Better drainage infrastructure, rainwater retention and pure water infiltration should turn into priorities.
Poor connectivity additionally impacts liveability. Neighbourhoods want walkways, dependable public transport and last-mile connections. The lack of important amenities corresponding to colleges, healthcare centres, markets, parks and leisure areas additional reduces residents’ high quality of life.
Over the subsequent 5 to 10 years, Lagos ought to prioritise walkable, mixed-use developments, supported by digitised improvement management, street-level zoning and satellite tv for pc monitoring. Informal settlements also needs to be upgraded by means of improved drainage, water provide and tenure safety with out displacing residents.
A habitable Lagos requires greater than homes. It wants drainage, colleges, dependable infrastructure and full neighbourhoods.
