At pivotal moments in governance, leadership is defined not by continuity, but by the courage to depart from entrenched patterns and chart a new course. For Monday Okpebholo, this moment presents itself clearly in one critical sector housing.
Across many states in Nigeria, the trajectory of urban development has been shaped largely by private real estate interests. While this approach has produced impressive skylines and exclusive estates, it has also entrenched inequality, restricted access, and, in many cases, raised troubling questions about the sources of capital driving such developments. Increasingly, real estate has become less about providing shelter and more about serving as a repository for questionable wealth an avenue through which illicit funds are quietly laundered back into the economy under the guise of investment.
This model is neither sustainable nor equitable for a developing state like Edo.
Governor Okpebholo must resist the temptation to follow this well-worn path. Instead, he should embrace a transformative, state-led housing agenda anchored on low-cost, mass housing as a deliberate tool for economic expansion and social progress.
Low-cost housing, when strategically deployed, is far more than a welfare initiative—it is a development engine. By situating affordable housing projects in emerging or underutilized areas, government can intentionally open up new economic corridors. Such developments naturally attract infrastructure roads, electricity, water supply as well as commercial activities, small businesses, and essential social services. In effect, housing becomes the nucleus around which new communities and local economies are built.
This is how inclusive growth is engineered.
More importantly, this approach democratizes access to home ownership. It offers dignity and stability to civil servants, artisans, traders, and young families who are often priced out of the current housing market. It creates a sense of belonging and investment in the state’s future. It also stimulates employment across multiple sectors construction, logistics, manufacturing of building materials, and urban planning thereby strengthening the real economy.
In stark contrast, the prevailing model of high-end, privately driven real estate has delivered limited broad-based value. Many of these developments remain under-occupied, functioning more as speculative assets than vibrant communities. Rather than catalyzing economic activity, they often serve as dormant vaults for capital frequently of dubious origin detached from the everyday realities of the people.
Edo State deserves better.
A progressive and people-oriented administration must redefine housing as a public good one that balances private sector participation with strong government direction and clear social objectives. Through well-structured public-private partnerships, transparent financing models, and firm regulatory oversight, the state can ensure that development serves the many, not just the privileged few.
The path forward is clear: build for the people, and the economy will follow.
Governor Okpebholo has the opportunity to set Edo State apart as a model of thoughtful, inclusive development where housing is not merely about structures, but about unlocking human potential, expanding opportunity, and restoring public confidence in governance.
To lead is to be different. Edo must dare to be.
Felix ONI (Ikpoba Okha)
