Experts pinpoint pathways for Nigeria to build for 300m, drive urban transformation
Tayo Odunsi, chairman RICS (centre), flanked by RICS Exco members and other professionals at the conference in Lagos recently
When built environment experts and sundry professionals gathered in Lagos recently at the instance of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Nigeria Group, ‘building for 300 million’ was the fulcrum around which other discussions revolved.
A United Nations report predicts that Nigeria’s population will cross the 300 million threshold around 2036, up from the current estimate of 225.
To prepare Nigeria for this population explosion in terms of housing, infrastructure and urban development, RICS Nigeria Group hosted its annual conference in Lagos with the theme, ‘Building for 300 million: Driving Nigeria’s Urban Development.’
Speaking on this theme, the experts acknowledged that building for 300 million people poses a huge challenge, though not insurmountable. Tayo Odunsi, chairman, RICS Nigeria Group, explained to journalists in an interview on the sideline of the conference that the idea is forward-thinking on possible solutions to the challenge.
Odunsi disclosed that the conference was aimed at bringing together different professionals in the built environment to consider the best standards that should be adopted to build for 300 million and drive urban transformation.
Yinka Ogunsulire, managing director, Orange Island, said building for 300 million means professionals and Nigerians in general rethinking how they plan, design, finance, and govern their cities — moving from informal expansion to intentional development.
“We need cities and towns that are smarter and more resilient, that remain affordable, and that reflect the dignity and aspirations of the people who live in them. Of course, it goes far beyond bricks and mortar. It demands leadership, discipline, the right mindset and a shared national vision,” Ogunsulire, who was the keynote speaker, stated.
She pointed out that she has learned from working in Lagos, the largest and most populous urban conurbation in Africa, that a well-designed community isn’t defined by its buildings or infrastructure alone, but also by how well its systems work together — housing linked to jobs, roads connected to public transport, reliable water and power, safe neighbourhoods, good schools and access to green spaces.
She added that her understanding of building for 300 million has been shaped by working on master-planned communities, where spaces are designed not just for shelter, but also for the way people live, and how they move through the city, work, raise families, and build community.
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“When these pieces align, people flourish and cities work. I’ve seen how intentional planning, strong infrastructure, good urban governance, and collaboration between the public and private sectors can unlock transformation,” she revealed.
Ogunsulire suggested four strategic pillars that can guide thinking in laying the foundations for Nigeria’s urban future. These she listed as reimagining urban governance, inclusive infrastructure and housing at scale, building sustainable and smart cities, and financing the change.
She explained that reimagining urban governance involves “fixing the foundations — how we plan, regulate, and manage urban growth. It also means reforming land administration to make it transparent, efficient, and fair.
Today, our cities are expanding without a unified compass. Outdated laws, weak enforcement, and underfunded planning institutions leave us reacting to crises instead of shaping the future.”
Ogunsulire advised that, as a country, Nigeria must modernise urban planning laws, digitise land records, use data to guide land use, move from static master plans to living templates, and strengthen institutions and coordination within a national spatial framework.
According to her, many of Nigeria’s 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 urbanization or the technological tools available today, and as we all know, the Land Use Act of 1978 just needs to go,” she stressed.
