Lagos APC governorship candidate Obafemi Hamzat promises 25-year mortgages, a one-year rent limit and 4,000 public buses if elected in 2027
2027: Hamzat Promises 25-Year Mortgages, 4,000 Buses in Lagos
Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has unveiled a series of policy proposals targeting housing, transportation and healthcare, promising 25-year mortgages, enforcement of the one-year rent limit and an expansion of the state’s public bus fleet to 4,000 if elected governor in 2027.
Hamzat announced the proposals on Sunday during the Lagos Governorship Debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium at The Hub by IALA, Lekki, Lagos.
The debate brought together four governorship candidates, including Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress, Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Deji Doherty of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Presenting his credentials and vision for the state, Hamzat described the debate as an opportunity to demonstrate his readiness for the governorship, likening the exercise to a recruitment 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.
The APC candidate pointed to his previous experience as Commissioner for Science and Technology and Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, highlighting his involvement in developing Lagos State’s residents and structural database, as well as the delivery of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge.
On housing affordability, Hamzat proposed a 25-year mortgage arrangement under which prospective homeowners would pay an initial 10 per cent deposit and spread the outstanding balance over the repayment period.
He said the proposal was intended to reduce the financial barriers preventing many Lagos residents from owning homes, particularly those unable to make outright payments for residential properties.
The deputy governor also pledged to enforce the state’s one-year rent payment limit, insisting that landlords should not demand two or three years’ rent in advance from tenants.
He argued that the practice placed unnecessary financial pressure on residents, particularly salary earners whose incomes were received monthly.
“So people should not be asked two years, three years ahead because nobody gets salary three years ahead,” Hamzat said.
On transportation, he promised to increase Lagos’ public bus fleet from its current 1,000 to 4,000 vehicles, with compressed natural gas-powered buses forming part of the proposed expansion.
He also outlined plans to extend the Blue Line rail service to Okokomaiko and push the Green Line towards the Lekki Free Trade Zone as part of efforts to improve connectivity and expand mass transit infrastructure across the state.
In the healthcare sector, Hamzat pledged to increase the number of flagship primary healthcare centres from 87 to 150, with the proposed facilities operating 24 hours daily to improve access to medical services.
He acknowledged the persistent difficulties confronting Lagos residents, particularly in transportation, housing and food affordability, saying the next administration would need deliberate interventions to reduce the economic pressures on households.
Hamzat further disclosed that his proposed administration would implement a 100-point development agenda known as The Lagos Promise, or Ileri Eko, structured around seven major pillars to guide governance and development across the state.
The proposals formed part of his presentation at the debate, where governorship candidates outlined their policy priorities and approaches to addressing the challenges facing Africa’s most populous city ahead of the 2027 election.
