Stanbic IBTC Bank, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, recently concluded its participation at the 2026 Wemabod Real Estate Outlook Conference, which convened over 1,800 participants under the theme “Unlocking land and infrastructure for inclusive housing.” While positioned as a strategic platform to reshape Nigeria’s real estate landscape, the event ultimately highlighted the entrenched structural deficiencies and policy inconsistencies that continue to stifle meaningful progress in the housing sector.
Despite extensive panel sessions and high-level dialogue, discussions largely revisited familiar themes, regulatory bottlenecks, land acquisition inefficiencies, infrastructure deficits, and constrained financing frameworks, without presenting clear, time-bound or measurable solutions. The recurring emphasis on “unlocking land” and “aligning infrastructure” underscored the longstanding inability of stakeholders to move from rhetoric to implementation.
Industry leaders engaged in conversations on affordable housing and sustainable growth, but the absence of concrete reform commitments revealed the persistent disconnect between policy discussions and on-ground realities. Land administration challenges remain entrenched, infrastructure financing lags behind demand, and regulatory processes remain cumbersome – issues that have been repeatedly discussed over the past decade with limited impact.
During a fireside chat, Wole Adeniyi, Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Bank, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to advancing inclusive housing solutions, stressing the importance of integrating policy, capital, and execution. However, his remarks offered little clarity on specific investment benchmarks or structural interventions that could materially shift housing accessibility for low- and middle-income Nigerians. Similarly, Tola Akinhanmi, Head of Real Estate Finance at Stanbic IBTC Capital, emphasised collaboration among government, financiers, and communities, but the repeated call for cooperation reflected the fragmentation that has long plagued Nigeria’s housing ecosystem.
Bashir Oladunni, Managing Director of Wemabod Limited, advocated for a strategic migration from overcrowded urban centres to structured regional corridors supported by transportation and land use planning. While conceptually compelling, such proposals remain difficult to actualise amid weak infrastructure planning, inadequate inter-agency coordination, and inconsistent policy continuity across political cycles.
Although the conference positioned itself as a catalyst for transformative change, it ultimately highlighted the cyclical nature of discourse within Nigeria’s real estate sector: ambitious themes, robust dialogue, but limited accountability mechanisms. Without enforceable policy reforms, transparent land administration, and sustained infrastructure funding, the industry risks perpetuating discussions that generate optimism but fail to deliver scale.
Stanbic IBTC’s continued participation signals institutional interest in the housing sector, but genuine leadership will require more than visibility. It will demand demonstrable capital deployment, measurable targets for affordable housing financing, and advocacy for structural reforms capable of addressing the systemic barriers that have constrained inclusive urban development for decades.
By Kehinde Ibrahim, Lagos
