Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos State, has criticised successive administrations for failing to translate the state’s high internally generated revenue (IGR) into improved living conditions for ordinary residents.
Rhodes-Vivour said government policies over the past 20 years had largely favoured wealthy residents while neglecting vulnerable communities, particularly in the housing sector.
He made the remarks on Sunday during the Lagos governorship debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium, a coalition of media organisations including TheCable.
According to the ADC candidate, the state’s impressive revenue figures have not reflected the everyday experiences of many residents struggling with housing affordability and other economic challenges.
“Government in the last 20 years has been focused on elite policies that only favour the elite,” Rhodes-Vivour said.
Rhodes-Vivour Faults Lagos Housing Policies
The former Labour Party governorship candidate criticised the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC), arguing that its housing projects were concentrated in affluent neighbourhoods at the expense of vulnerable residents.
He said the approach had contributed to the displacement of low-income communities, leaving many residents unable to afford alternative accommodation.
Rhodes-Vivour cited the demolition of homes in Makoko as an example of what he described as government policies that had failed to protect disadvantaged communities.
He also argued that private-sector housing developments replacing such communities remained beyond the financial reach of many Lagosians.
“So that is why, on paper, Lagos celebrates a high IGR, but on the ground, people are not experiencing the benefits of coming from a state that is this rich,” he said.
ADC Candidate Promises 100,000 Housing Units
Rhodes-Vivour promised that an ADC-led government would prioritise low-income earners and place residents struggling with economic difficulties at the centre of its housing policies.
He proposed delivering more than 100,000 housing units, with a transparent allocation system designed to prevent wealthy individuals from acquiring multiple properties while others remain homeless.
“We are not going to have a situation where one person can then own 10 units,” he said.
He further proposed a housing system that would allow residents to move into larger homes as their incomes and family responsibilities increased.
Under the proposed arrangement, young people leaving school could initially secure self-contained apartments, progress to two-bedroom homes after marriage and eventually qualify for three-bedroom accommodation as their families expanded.
Proposed Housing Credit System
The ADC candidate also outlined a credit-based system through which residents would accumulate points as they progressed through the housing programme.
According to him, the accumulated credit could eventually be applied towards securing a mortgage, making home ownership more achievable over time.
“There’s credit that is being acquired, or points are being acquired all down this value chain, so that in your 40s, in your 50s, that credit can then be applied to a mortgage,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour said the proposed reforms would make housing policy more responsive to residents’ changing financial circumstances and family needs.
The debate forms part of preparations for the 2027 Lagos governorship election, with candidates presenting their plans for addressing the state’s development challenges.
