Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu urged investors to adopt a disciplined and structured approach to real estate, describing it as essential for long-term economic resilience and sustainable urban expansion in Lagos State.
The governor delivered the charge at the BusinessDay Media Limited 2026 Property & Smart Cities Conference, held at Four Points by Sheraton, Victoria Island.
Represented by the Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, he addressed industry stakeholders on the theme, “Property Investment in the Era of Capital Discipline.”
Sanwo-Olu noted that cautious capital flows and rising financing costs had reshaped investor expectations.
He argued that capital discipline had evolved beyond cost-cutting into a strategic mechanism for channelling funds into projects that promote social inclusion, environmental sustainability and genuine economic value.
To strengthen investor confidence, he outlined reforms designed to de-risk the Lagos property market.
These included the digitisation of land administration to reduce transaction bottlenecks, greater transparency in approval processes, and strategic infrastructure alignment across high-growth corridors to support residential and commercial expansion.
READ ALSO
The governor emphasised his administration’s reliance on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to drive housing development.
He maintained that affordability and profitability could coexist, adding that the state had leveraged innovative financing models to deliver commercially viable yet socially responsive housing projects.
He also reaffirmed Lagos State’s commitment to climate resilience, pointing to investments in green infrastructure, coastal protection and flood mitigation as critical to building an investable and future-ready city.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Abiodun Oluyinka, reinforced the governor’s position in his keynote address titled, “Building Investable Cities Through Planning Certainty and Institutional Trust.”
He explained that structured Master Plans and Model City Plans had provided clarity for global investors by ensuring predictable spatial outcomes and aligning private developments with long-term infrastructure and economic priorities.
Describing the period as one of consolidation, Sanwo-Olu assured stakeholders that Lagos remained one of Africa’s leading property investment destinations.
He attributed this standing not only to housing demand but also to governance reforms and institutional stability designed to secure sustainable prosperity.
The conference, organised by BusinessDay Media Limited, provided a platform for aligning government policy with private sector expectations in Nigeria’s most populous state.
