South East: Region where empty mansions mock national deficit
Traveling through many communities in the Southeastern part of Nigeria reveals a curious situation where numerous mansions and diverse house types seem to mock the national housing deficit. These houses and mansions are largely unoccupied.
Nigeria has a massive housing deficit, estimated at 28 million units, requiring ₦21 trillion to address. Housing in the country has become unattainable for most citizens. In Lagos, for instance, a modest one-bedroom apartment now rents for over ₦1,000,000 annually—many times more than the national minimum wage of ₦70,000 per month.
The 28 million housing units deficit reported by Nigeria’s Federal Mortgage Bank (FMBN) has exposed a deep structural failure in meeting the country’s shelter needs. Despite the overwhelming demand, fewer than 100,000 housing units are delivered annually, far short of the estimated 700,000 units required to keep pace.
Yet, in Southeast communities, many houses are left unoccupied, crying out for occupants. Some of these houses are multi-million-dollar mansions—massive, luxurious homes with imported fittings and extravagant designs.
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BusinessDay found out that many of the owners of these mansions reside abroad or in major Nigerian cities and only return for short visits, typically during Christmas and Easter. Some spend no more than a month in these homes before locking them up again. A rough estimate shows that around 70 of these mansions remain unoccupied for most of the year.
The question many ask is why people invest millions of dollars in village homes they barely live in. Many reasons have been given for that. It was gathered further that building and leaving houses largely unoccupied is part of the culture and tradition of this region.
Our reporter gathered that the practice is a symbol of success—a way of demonstrating that they have made it in life. Many Nigerians abroad send vast amounts of money back home to construct these mansions, even in rural areas lacking electricity or good roads.
The aim of building these mansions, according to one of the owners who pleaded anonymity, was to create a home where they can feel comfortable whenever they visit Nigeria, revealing that, even though they are only there for short periods, they have domestic staff to maintain the property throughout the year.
In one of the largest mansions in a rural community in Igbo Eze North LGA, Enugu State, reportedly owned by a China-based businessman, and worth billions of naira, opulence was crystalised in brick and mortar.
The mansion sits on vast land but is mostly unoccupied. In fact, the businessman, who is said to be involved in real estate, also has domestic servants, including gardeners, cooks, and sundry cleaners who are just there waiting for whenever the man comes home.
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Nearby this mansion is a moderate estate, an upscale gated community there are houses worth hundreds of millions of naira, featuring imported furniture and custom-built designs. Many of these homes are not permanently occupied, reinforcing the trend of wealthy Nigerians building luxurious but vacant village mansions.
“For many, these homes serve as status symbols and ancestral legacies. Despite the financial impracticality, they represent a deep connection to one’s roots. Even though these mansions remain empty for most of the year, they stand as lasting symbols of success, wealth, and cultural heritage, Joe Izuchukwu, the manager in charge of maintaining this estate, explained to our reporter.
Izuchukwu noted that the construction and finishing of these mansions contrasts with what obtains in other climes, citing Qatar, which, even though it looks like a modern city, still preserves its traditional architecture without coming off as too modernised.
“I wish to see a day when Nigerians and Africans in general will do the same, like these beautiful villas I visited and filmed somewhere in Makios. This is an African-themed villa, and they are so beautiful,” he said.
