Real Estate and the Right to the City: Who’s Being Left Out?

ESV Nafisah Abdullahi Sani

Across the world, cities are expanding rapidly, reshaping skylines and creating new economic opportunities. Yet as buildings rise and land values soar, a growing question emerges: who truly has the right to the city? In Nigeria and many other developing countries, real estate development often prioritises profit over people, leaving vulnerable groups increasingly excluded from urban spaces meant to serve everyone.

The “right to the city” is a concept that argues that all residents not just the wealthy or politically connected should have access to the social, economic, and cultural benefits that cities offer. But today, rising property prices, gentrification, and poor urban planning are pushing low-income families, informal workers, and young people to the margins.

One of the greatest barriers to the right to the city is affordability. As demand for urban housing increases, property prices far outpace income levels, making homeownership unattainable for the majority. In Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, even middle-income earners struggle to secure decent accommodation. Developers, driven by higher profit margins, often prioritise luxury apartments and gated estates over affordable or social housing. This widens the housing inequality gap and deepens social exclusion.

Another issue is forced displacement. Urban renewal projects, infrastructure expansion, and private developments frequently lead to the demolition of informal settlements. While these projects are often presented as necessary for modernization, they disproportionately affect those who lack formal title documents. Entire communities lose their homes, livelihoods, and access to public services, often without fair compensation or relocation support. This undermines the foundational principle that cities should provide security and opportunity for all residents.

The right to the city also extends beyond housing. It includes access to public spaces, transportation, jobs, and social services. Yet in many Nigerian cities, public spaces are shrinking as land is commercialised for private use. Poor transportation systems isolate low-income communities at the city’s edge, making daily commutes longer and more expensive. Young people seeking opportunities in tech, entertainment, or small business struggle with high commercial rents and lack of inclusive urban infrastructure.

Women, persons with disabilities, and informal traders face additional layers of exclusion. Many city designs do not consider accessibility needs, while informal workers are routinely evicted from marketplaces in the name of urban “clean-up” campaigns. These actions deprive thousands of their means of survival.

To reclaim the right to the city, Nigeria needs inclusive urban policies that balance private development with social responsibility. Governments must prioritise affordable housing, enforce transparent land-use regulations, expand public transportation, and protect informal settlements with fair relocation frameworks. Developers, too, have a role to play by adopting mixed-income housing models and ensuring their projects contribute to community wellbeing.

The true measure of a city is not how many skyscrapers it boasts but how well it serves all its people. If urban development continues to exclude those without wealth or influence, the promise of the city will remain out of reach for millions. Ensuring the right to the city is ultimately about building urban environments where everyone not just a privileged few can live, work, and thrive.