LAGOS, Nigeria – The All-Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, has pledged to enforce existing laws against arbitrary rent increases and demands for multiple years’ rent in advance if elected governor.
Hamzat, the incumbent deputy governor, made the commitment on Sunday during the Lagos governorship debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium. He said his administration would ensure compliance with the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency Law, which regulates real estate transactions and restricts certain advance rent demands.
Hamzat also outlined plans to improve transportation through rail, road and waterways, saying the state was targeting the movement of one million passengers daily using 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. He highlighted plans to expand water transportation through the deployment of 77 electric ferries, arguing that Lagos waterways offered additional capacity to move commuters and ease pressure on roads.
On rail development, he defended the state’s investment in the sector, arguing that private-sector funding alone had not delivered a rail system anywhere in Africa. However, he did not provide further details in the reported remarks on the timeline, financing or operational arrangements for the proposed transport expansion.
On healthcare, the APC candidate said the state government was building additional hospitals to improve access to medical services. He also pledged to increase the number of Lagos State’s flagship primary healthcare centres from 87 to 150, with the facilities expected to provide round-the-clock services.
The proposed expansion would increase the number of centres by 63, although further details are needed on their locations, staffing, equipment and funding. Hamzat’s pledges place housing affordability, urban mobility and access to primary healthcare among the issues at the centre of the Lagos governorship campaign.
Join the conversation