What should Developers Build in Lagos?
What should real estate developers actually be building in Lagos? Is it terraced houses? Flats? Detached houses? What exactly does the market want? That was the question a real estate developer asked me while we were having one of those phone conversations that start casually, then become insightful. We were talking land, locations, and how different corridors are shaping up. Somewhere in between the banter, the question dropped. On the surface, it felt like a straightforward question, the kind that should have a straightforward answer. There is a housing crisis. Rents are rising. Young people are struggling to find decent homes. At the same time, the growth of short-let rentals across Lagos has added another layer of pressure to an already tight market. Demand for housing, especially for flats and terraces, is loud and visible, coming not just from residents but also from investors and operators. People need places to live, and increasingly, places that can work as incom...