Building environment experts under the auspices of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Nigeria Group, brainstormed on practical solutions required to build sustainably for predicted Nigeria’s 300 million population in 2050. DAYO AYEYEMI reports.
Nigeria’s population has been projected to exceed 300 million by 2050, just 25 years from now.
This projection, building environment professionals, under the auspices of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors ( RICS), Nigeria Group, said would come with the challenge of urbanisation, which is already increasing ahead of infrastructure, housing, and basic services, except something is done to build a sustainable urban future.
It’s as a result of this reason that the group, during its 2025 annual conference, brainstormed on practical solutions on its theme: Building for 300 million,” with experts that spoke at the forum canvassing for policy change and coordinated actions on how to build, plan and manage Nigeria’s urban spaces.
Leading the talk, CEO, Orange Island, Ms.Yinka Ogunsulire, in her keynote address, suggested four strategic pillars that can guide people’ thinking, describing them as the “foundations for Nigeria’s urban future.”
The pillars are: reimagining urban governance, inclusive Infrastructure and housing at scale; building sustainable and smart cities and financing the change.
She said that ‘pillar one’ called for the need to fix the foundations of how we plan, regulate, and manage urban growth.
“It also means reforming land administration to make it transparent, efficient, and fair,” he said.
She pointed out that Nigerian cities are expanding without a unified compass, adding that outdated laws, weak enforcement, and underfunded planning institutions have left the professionals reacting to crises, instead of shaping the future.
As a matter of urgency, she suggested the need to modernise urban planning laws, digitise land records, and use data to guide land use, urging a move from static master plans to living templates; strengthening institutions and coordination within a national spatial framework.
“Many of our laws are outdated and no longer match the realities of a fast-changing, digital economy.
“The Urban and Regional Planning Act 1992 no longer reflects the pace of urbanisation or the technological tools available today, and as we all know, the Land Use Act of 1978 just needs to go,” she said.
She added that there’s the urgent need for a unified framework to align housing, infrastructure, and services around a shared spatial and policy vision “A National Urban Master Plan that would guide how our cities expand, connect, and evolve —shifting us from ad-hoc expansion to coordinated growth is necessary.
Stronger alignment across federal, state, and local levels will reduce duplication, close enforcement gaps, and restore confidence among citizens and investors alike,” she said
If the government is serious about building for 300 million Nigerians, the experts said the need to deliver infrastructure and housing that serve everyone has become imperative.
“We need to prioritise roads, rail, power, water, drainage, and broadband as core national investments — not isolated projects,” she said.
Speaking to the government, Ogunsulire stated that developers should be treated as partners in delivery when they build infrastructure for the benefit of the state and not be subjected to paying levies for the very infrastructure and neighborhood improvements they have provided.
“Building integrated infrastructure corridors that connect cities, ports, rural zones, and markets will drive productivity, inclusion, and regional balance, citing the ongoing Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway as an example of the vision.
“Lagos also shows what’s possible in transport infrastructure: the Blue and Red Line rail systems, alongside expanded ferry routes and the BRT network, are transforming daily commutes.
This is the model we need nationwide — government builds the backbone and creates the enabling framework, and the private sector delivers at scale,” she said.
Enabling environment
On housing, she said that the government’s role should be to make it easier for others to build by improving access to land, streamlining approvals, and ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with urban growth.
She also suggested the need to modenise how we build.
To meet the housing’s demand of 300 million people, the Ogunsulire said that it has become imperative to embrace modular systems, local materials, and technology that make construction faster, greener, and more affordable.
“Housing should be for the many, not the few.
“Real impact will only come by focusing on mass and rental housing — decent, affordable homes for the millions in the informal sector: market women, artisans, drivers, security guards — the people who power our cities but remain excluded from formal housing markets,” the Orange Island’s CEO said.
“We need to stop treating housing as a luxury. Housing is a fundamental human right and the foundation of productivity.
“Housing and infrastructure are critical, but we also need to think about the cities themselves — how they can be sustainable, resilient, and ready for the future.”
Financing the change
On how to finance the change, taking cognisance of the fact that government budgets alone will not suffice, Ogunsulire suggested the need to access private capital, optimise public spending, and design long-term financial instruments that match the long-term realities of urban development.
“We must also deploy a wider mix of innovative tools: Establish urban development funds; use blended finance; leverage municipal bonds and tax incentives; strengthen local governments’ revenue capacity, “ she said.
The solutions are known. What has held us back is execution and financing. It is time for us to move beyond commentary to collaboration — to bring our collective expertise together and make things happen.
“This transformation requires leadership, vision and professional excellence. None of this will happen without the people in this room. This gathering is more than a professional event — it is a convergence of minds with the power to shape Nigeria’s built environment. We are not just technical experts. The work that we do builds nations.”
“Now, more than ever, Nigeria needs that leadership — to drive reform, and guide government and investors toward solutions that last.
“I believe RICS Nigeria should lead the charge to convene a Built Environment Roundtable — a gathering of professionals across our disciplines to develop a clear, actionable plan for Nigeria’s urban future. One that aligns with government and sets out a clear roadmap for implementation.
“If governance is right, cities gain a compass. If infrastructure and housing are delivered at scale, millions gain dignity. If cities are resilient and green, people and the planet are protected.
“And if we get financing right, we turn good ideas into real projects,” she added.
She explained that what is required are cities and towns that are smarter and more resilient, that remain affordable, and that reflect the dignity and aspirations of the people that live in them.
Stern warning
She raised the alarm over the challenge ahead, saying that without urgent, coordinated action, Nigerian cities would absorb growth in the worst possible way: informally, inefficiently, and unsustainably.
“Our current urban systems are already under tremendous pressure. We are dealing with: Massive informal settlements growing daily from uncontrolled rural-urban migration; a huge housing deficit; limited planning enforcement; weak land administration; fragmented institutional coordination; a huge infrastructure financing gap; pollution and uncontrolled garbage: social problems, homelessness and crime,” she said.
Chairman, RICS Nigeria Group,Tayo Odunsi, described the gathering as not just professionals, but a pivotal moment in the collective journey toward shaping Nigeria’s built environment for generations to come.
Odunsi described the theme of this year’s conference as not merely aspirational, but a clarion call rooted in demographic certainty.
According to him, Nigeria’s population is projected to reach 300 million in the near future, a milestone that will redefine the scale and urgency of professional responsibilities.
This growth, he said, presented both extraordinary opportunities and formidable challenges.
Member, Governing Council, RICS, Uche Obi, said the theme of the conference captured the urgency and scale of Nigeria’s future.
According to him, from the 250 million people who call the country home today to the 300 million projected within a generation, the need for infrastructure, housing, skills, and professional excellence has never been greater.
“But beyond the statistics, there is a deeper story here: a story of cultural richness, national pride, and global potential. Nigeria is a nation that leads with energy, creativity, and resilience, and this same spirit is what will drive the next chapter of the built environment profession,” he said.
He also remarked that Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial capital and one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, embodied both the challenges and the opportunities the gathering meant to discuss.
According to him, “With a population surpassing 20 million, and growing, it stands as a powerful symbol of what’s possible when ambition meets innovation,” he said. l, adding that Lagos, as a hub of commerce and innovation, plays a pivotal role in shaping the profession’s future across West Africa.
Lagos’ urban regeneration
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the forum, pointed out that the task of “Building for 300 million” calls for foresight, planning, and professionalism. He described the theme of the conference as “not only timely but visionary.”
According to him, the theme reflected the urgent need to prepare Nigerian cities for the demographic realities of the future, especially as Nigeria’s population is projected to exceed 300 million by 2050.
He remarked Lagos remains a living case study of urban transformation in Africa, adding that as the economic hub of Nigeria and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world, the government has embraced the challenge of urban management as key priority of governance.
He said his administration’s THEMES+ Agenda also focuses on a sustainable economy anchored on inclusive urban growth and the continuous upgrading of physical and social infrastructure.
“Through landmark projects like the Lagos Blue and Red Line Rail, the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the reconstruction of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Regional Road in Lagos state, digital mapping and spatial data Infrastructure, and the ongoing Lagos Smart City initiatives, we are demonstrating what a data-driven, future-focused city government can achieve.
“We are also investing heavily in urban regeneration, with projects such as Ilu-Eko Housing Scheme, Lekki-Epe Development Plan, and urban renewal programmes in Surulere, Mushin, and Lagos Island, ensuring that our development leaves no community behind,” he said.
He seized the occasion to list some of the priotised deliberate reforms of the government such as the digitization of land administration, establishment of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and Physical Planning Permit, investment in affordable housing through the LagosHOMS initiative, strengthening of partnerships with professional institutions, among others.
“Promotion of green and resilient infrastructure, consistent with our Climate Action Plan 2050, aimed at making Lagos a low-carbon city,” he said.
The governor appealed to the professional bodies, saying, “As we prepare for a Nigeria of 300 million citizens, we must collectively reimagine how we build, how we plan, and how we manage our urban spaces.”
He called RICS Nigeria and all stakeholders in the built environment to continue to collaborate with government in promoting data-informed urban policies, affordablehousing innovations, and sustainable infrastructure models that prioritize people and the planet.
“The future of our cities will depend on how well we integrate technology, professionalism, and inclusive planning into our growth story. Lagos is ready to continue leading that charge, and we see RICS as a vital partner in this journey,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Call for collective expertise
While welcoming the international representatives like the Acting President – Nick Maclean; Governing Council member – Uche Obi; Managing Director of RICS Middle East and Africa Geoffrey Dobson, and RICS Sub-Saharan Africa officer – Bonface Waweru, Odunsi pointed out that their presence underscored the global significance of the challenges “we face and the solutions we must forge together.”
Odunsi said: “The question before us is not whether this future will arrive, but whether we will be prepared when it does,” he said
“As estate surveyors and valuers, quantity surveyors, land surveyors, building surveyors, project managers, financiers, and academics in the built environment, each of us plays a distinct yet interconnected role in creating sustainable real estate that houses living, work, and leisure for our growing population.
“From the initial planning stages through financing, construction, management, and valuation, our collective expertise forms the backbone of Nigeria’s built environment infrastructure,” he said
However, he pointed out that expertise alone is insufficient, urging that they must recommit themselves to upholding and advancing the rigorous standards that RICS has either authored or championed standards that represent global best practices in the industry.
He said that the society’s expectations from professionals are clear: “to deliver not just buildings and infrastructure, but quality, sustainability, and resilience.”
“We must ensure that every project we touch reflects these values and contributes to an efficient, inclusive built environment,” he said.