Tax clarity, policy coherence critical to real estate growth in 2026- Lagos Commissioner
The Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Mr Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, says clarity, predictability and coordination in tax obligations are critical to securing long-term investments and driving housing delivery across the construction and real estate sector in 2026.
Akinderu-Fatai said this at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) Construction and Real Estate Outlook 2026 held on Tuesday in Lagos.
Supreme news reports that the event had the theme: “Navigating Reforms, Driving Resilience: Tax, Insurance and the Future of Nigeria’s Construction and Real Estate Sector in 2026.”
He noted that across the globe, construction and real estate sectors were being reshaped by fiscal reforms, insurance restructuring, climate imperatives, financial tightening and evolving investor expectations.
According to him, what will distinguish Nigeria is how deliberately and intelligently stakeholders respond to the changing policy environment.
The commissioner described construction and real estate as structural pillars of economic development, supporting industrial activity and stimulating supply chains.
Akinderu-Fatai said that with the new tax reforms which took effect from Jan. 1, 2026, the sector had reached a defining inflection point.
“Taxation impacts every stage of the construction and real estate value chain, from land acquisition to estate management.
“The challenge is not the existence of taxation, but the clarity, predictability and coordination of tax obligations across institutions and tiers of government,” he said.
Akinderu-Fatai, noting that construction was long-term and capital-intensive, stated that ambiguous tax rules raised costs and deterred financing, while transparent policies attracted investment.
He urged developers and investors to move from passive compliance to proactive adaptation by strengthening internal tax planning capacity, engaging regulators early and leveraging professional advisory services.
The commissioner also emphasised the need to view insurance as a strategic risk management tool that enhanced resilience and supports financing.
He added that under the governor of Lagos, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES+ Agenda, Lagos State had embedded resilience into governance and planning.
He pledged continued policy stability, institutional strengthening and partnerships, including deeper collaboration between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, to shape the future of the built environment.
“As we navigate through these reforms, it is important to note that there is no reform agenda that can succeed without shared responsibility.
“Government must provide policy coherence, regulatory clarity, and efficient implementation while private sector leaders adapt business models, invest in compliance, embrace innovation, and pursue efficiency rather than transferring all additional costs to end-users,” he said.
Prof. Biodun Adedipe, Founder, B. Adedipe Associates, said the common problems of most developing countries were food, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure and housing deficits.
He stated that the relevance of any successful business was in addressing these issues.
Adedipe noted that while the baseline forecast for the world economy was pegged at 3.3 per cent in 2026, Nigeria was projected to grow around 4.4 per cent according to economic authorities.
He said the country’s expected growth would be supported by its large population, rapid urbanisation, deepening internet penetration, tele-diversity and reviving manufacturing.
“Improvement in infrastructure would begin to positively impact the cost of doing business and sustained deep reforms will enhance global competitiveness and ease of doing business,” he said.
Adedipe noted that in real estate, 2025 was a remarkable year for real estate, measured by its contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while construction maintained steady showing, with a pattern of upshoot since 2021.
He said the outlook for the sector included strong growth with drivers such as infrastructure expansion, targeted capital deployment (pre-election year and projects delivery), logistics and warehousing and digital assets.
He, however, noted that the issues in the sector included high single-digit to double-digit inflation rates, double digit interest rates, rental demand, construction costs, infrastructure delivery and investor behaviour.
“Every notable entity that has done outlook on the Nigerian economy and business environment in 2026 has posted positive outlook, some quite aggressive and some indicate cautious optimism.
“For your organisation, you must relentlessly transform digitally and build cyber resilience, adopt, embed and sustain agentic Artificial Intelligence (Al) in operations-from descriptive, to diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive Al.
“You must also explore and deepen strategic partnerships, continually interrogate membership economy while tracking regulations and relentlessly complying,” he said.
President, NBCC, Mr Abimbola Olashore, said Nigeria was undergoing significant fiscal and regulatory reforms.
He noted that the country’s tax structures was evolving, insurance frameworks strengthening, and that these changes would shape how Nigeria finance, build, insure, and invest in the future.
Olashore stated that for the construction and real estate sector, a critical driver of infrastructure, housing, and employment, these reforms presented both challenges and opportunities.
“To navigate successfully, we must ensure that tax policy encourages development rather than constrains it and that insurance reform strengthens risk management and improves investor confidence.
“Also, public and private sector collaboration must remains strong and strategic,” Olashore stated.
Mr Antonio Campagnoli, World President, The International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI), restated the federation’s commitment to fostering dialogue, sharing expertise and building meaningful bridges between private and public sector.
