Lagos guber candidates differ on housing, transport, education, others 

Those contesting the Lagos State governorship election have presented contrasting approaches to housing, transportation, education, public finance and economic development, with opposition candidates criticising the government’s policies as favouring the elite at the expense of ordinary residents.

The candidates spoke during a governorship debate, ‘A Conversation About Lagos, Its Future and Choices Ahead’, where they outlined their plans to address the state’s development challenges and improve the living conditions of residents.

The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, criticised successive Lagos State administrations for pursuing policies that, he said, prioritised the interests of the wealthy while neglecting vulnerable residents.

He cited the state’s housing policies and the activities of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC), arguing that its housing developments were concentrated in highbrow areas and often contributed to the displacement of low-income residents.

Rhodes-Vivour also recalled the demolition of structures in Makoko, noting that residents who had been promised a new Lagos were subsequently displaced.

He said: “The answer to your question is that the Lagos government in the last over 20 years has been focused on elite policies that only favour the elite. You look at how they do housing. LSDPC is mainly focused on high-brow areas and always pushes out the vulnerable in our society.”

He argued that despite Lagos State’s high internally generated revenue (IGR), many residents were not benefiting from the state’s economic strength because government policies failed to address their needs.

He promised to place residents, particularly those struggling economically, at the centre of his administration’s policies, including the delivery of more than 100,000 affordable housing units.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr Kadri Hamzat, defended the state’s infrastructure and housing initiatives, saying the government was pursuing interventions in transportation, housing and agriculture to ease the economic challenges facing residents.

He acknowledged the financial pressure on households, citing the high cost of food and petrol, but maintained that the state government could intervene in key sectors within its jurisdiction.

Hamzat said the state planned to extend the Blue Line rail project to Okokomaiko and connect the Red Line to the Wole Soyinka station around the Trade Fair axis to improve mass transportation.

He also highlighted the Omi Eko water transport initiative, arguing that Lagos must maximise its waterways as part of an integrated transportation system linking rail, road and water transport.

He said, “The idea is to build rail, road, and water so that it’s all connected and move people en masse. In my manifesto, in the section of renewal, we said we will build 24,000 new buses, CNG buses, to move people en masse.”

On housing, Hamzat said the state had built 24 housing estates comprising about 18,000 units over the last eight years, adding that the government would expand access to home ownership through mortgage arrangements.

He explained that the proposed financing structure would require a 10 per cent initial payment, with beneficiaries allowed to spread repayments over 25 years.

The deputy governor cited ongoing housing developments, including Ibeju housing estate, with 2,700 units, as well as projects in other parts of the state.

Hamzat said the mortgage system would address the difficulty many Nigerians face in building houses, noting that the average African could spend 17 years building a home.

Another candidate, Funso Doherty, argued that Lagos State’s development challenges stemmed largely from the absence of people-centred policies and the failure to empower residents to participate meaningfully in economic growth.

He said his policy commitments were anchored on the belief that the prosperity of a society depended on the economic wellbeing of its individual members.

Doherty promised to prioritise education, healthcare, job creation, small businesses, public transportation and affordable housing as part of efforts to improve residents’ livelihoods.

He said his administration would make education genuinely free by removing examination-related charges and ensuring that no child was denied access to schooling because of their parents’ inability to pay.

He also pledged to introduce an affordable daily meal for pupils in public schools, describing investment in children as essential given Nigeria’s young population.