Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has unveiled a series of proposals on affordable housing, transportation, healthcare and security, promising to expand public infrastructure if elected governor in 2027.
Hamzat made the commitments on Sunday, November 8, during the Lagos State governorship debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium at The Hub by IALA in Lekki, Lagos.
The debate featured four governorship candidates: Hamzat of the APC, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Deji Doherty of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The event was organised by a coalition of five media organisations comprising Channels Television, TVC News, The PUNCH, TheCable and Vanguard Newspaper, as part of efforts to give candidates a platform to present their programmes and respond to questions ahead of the 2027 elections.
Describing the debate as an opportunity for voters to assess his preparedness for leadership, Hamzat said he considered the event a job interview.
“I take tonight as a job interview. The first question you ask anybody that wants this type of responsibility is: what have you done to prepare for this job?” he said.
To establish his experience, the APC candidate highlighted his previous service as Commissioner for Science and Technology and Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, as well as his nearly eight years as Lagos Deputy Governor under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
He said his work in the Science and Technology Ministry included developing a database of Lagos residents and structures, while his tenure as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure involved the delivery of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge.
Hamzat defended the achievements of the Sanwo-Olu administration but acknowledged that some areas still required attention.
“I am comfortable with a lot of things Lagos government has achieved, I also know that there are gaps, and that is the judgment I bring to the table,” he said.
On housing, Hamzat promised to introduce a 25-year mortgage arrangement that would allow eligible residents to acquire homes with an initial deposit of 10 per cent and spread the remaining payment over 25 years.
He said the arrangement was intended to make homeownership more accessible by reducing the pressure of paying the full cost of a property at once.
The APC candidate also claimed that the Sanwo-Olu administration had delivered 24 housing estates comprising approximately 18,000 housing units within eight years.
His proposal came against the backdrop of a competing housing commitment from Rhodes-Vivour, who promised to deliver 100,000 housing units within four years if elected.
The ADC candidate said his housing programme would involve funding social housing through luxury taxation, developing the eastern foreshore and decentralising housing projects across Lagos.
Hamzat also pledged to enforce the existing one-year rent limit in Lagos, saying tenants should not be compelled to pay two or three years’ rent in advance.
“So people should not be asked two years, three years ahead because nobody gets salary three years ahead,” he said.
The pledge is focused on enforcing existing Lagos rental regulations rather than introducing an entirely new policy. Hamzat said his administration would ensure landlords and estate agents complied with the applicable one-year rent restriction.
On transportation, the APC candidate promised to increase the state’s public bus fleet from approximately 1,000 to 4,000, with the introduction of compressed natural gas-powered buses.
He also set a target of moving one million passengers daily through the expanded bus system and proposed an integrated transportation network connecting roads, rail and waterways.
Hamzat further promised to extend the Blue Line rail to Okokomaiko and advance the Green Line towards the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
He said expanding the existing transport infrastructure would provide commuters with more options and reduce pressure on major roads.
Rhodes-Vivour, however, proposed connecting all rail lines within two and a half years through a private-sector-driven approach.
On healthcare, Hamzat promised to increase the number of flagship primary healthcare centres from 87 to 150 and ensure they operate round the clock.
He also pledged to strengthen hospital infrastructure and improve access to medical services across the state.
On security, the APC candidate identified state police as part of his proposed approach to strengthening security, while also listing flooding and waste management among the challenges requiring attention.
His development blueprint, which he described as The Lagos Promise, or Ileri Eko, is built around a 100-point agenda covering seven broad areas, including transportation, healthcare, education, housing, security, employment and accountability.
Hamzat also acknowledged the economic pressures facing Lagos residents, particularly the cost of transportation, housing and food.
“We are going through a corrective phase financially in Nigeria. We understand that transportation, housing and food are major concerns for our people, and these are areas where government must deliberately intervene,” he said.
The other candidates also used the debate to present alternative approaches to the state’s challenges.
Rhodes-Vivour called for a departure from what he described as two decades of poor governance and argued that Lagos should work for all residents rather than a privileged few.
Funso Doherty questioned the management of the state’s public transportation system, alleging that vested interests had frustrated efforts to modernise the sector. He argued that traffic congestion was not only an infrastructure problem but also a consequence of poor transport management.
The NDC candidate also promised free education, saying his administration would prioritise access to schooling and skills development.
Deji Doherty of the PDP proposed that the state government should directly develop and rent out houses to residents as a way of providing competition in the housing market. He also promised to abolish taxes imposed on teachers and doctors.
The debate provided an opportunity for the four candidates to explain how they intend to address the challenges of housing affordability, traffic congestion, flooding, public transportation, education, healthcare and the rising cost of living in Lagos.
The Lagos governorship election is scheduled for February 6, 2027, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s published timetable.
With the election approaching, the candidates’ promises and their capacity to translate campaign commitments into practical policies are expected to remain central to public scrutiny.
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