“Idle buildings are more than architectural oddities; they are monuments to inefficiency, policy neglect, and wasted potential.”
When the Minister of Housing and Urban Development recently spoke of a zero-tolerance policy on abandoned projects and vandalised public buildings, the promise was welcomed by Nigerians weary of visible waste in an age of widespread housing need. The remarks suggested that neglected structures, public and private alike, may be reclaimed, rehabilitated, or repurposed rather than left to decay. Yet the reality is harsher: abandoned assets run deeper than unfinished construction, and their consequences may be costly to national growth.
In Lagos, a building known as Ile Nla has become an urban legend. Rising in strange proportions in Iyana Era, it is unfinished, silent, and unoccupied. Its ownership is obscure. Social media content creators have filmed it repeatedly, speculating on its purpose and future.
Some talk of it as cursed; others suggest darker uses. Whether true or not, it’s one out of several and it’s significance lies in its idleness, a silent testament to wasted potential in a city where many lack secure shelter.
Across Nigeria, public and private properties lie abandoned. Mansions and multi-storey complexes sit unfinished for decades; government housing projects, often built with public funds, are left to deteriorate while remaining unaffordable for ordinary citizens. Government facilities also decay without becoming homes, offices, or community spaces. In Abuja, hundreds of uncompleted buildings in areas like Gwarinpa, Wuse, and Asokoro sit stalled by litigation, costs, or unclear ownership. Authorities have described these dormant assets as “time bombs” for urban insecurity and under-utilisation. A 2021 House of Representatives and the Institute of quantity surveyors confirmed the abandonment of 11,866 federal properties nationwide, with a combined value running into trillions of naira. This is not only a housing supply issue but a problem of governance, planning, and accountability.
Why do these buildings exist? Some have been seized by authorities for illegal acquisition or misuse, only to remain idle because no clear plan exists for repurposing. Other properties belong to deceased owners, leaving disputes among heirs that can drag on for years while structures decay. Nevertheless, overburdened land courts and slow titling systems discourage potential developers from reviving dormant sites.
Many abandoned buildings are also a result of financial manoeuvres. In instances, structures have been used to secure loans, which are then diverted to other ventures, leaving the asset incomplete and socially useless. Elite investors contribute to this issue in their own ways. Some purchase multiple properties for investment or prestige, rarely occupying them. Entire estates may remain uninhabited, storing wealth rather than housing families. Combined with unfinished projects, this results in a significant portion of urban real estate lying idle, creating stark contrasts: empty mansions beside informal settlements, vacant commercial complexes where office space is in high demand, and government housing units left unused while ordinary citizens cannot afford adequate homes. Social perceptions also reinforce abandonment. Rumours that buildings are haunted or used for occult practices deter neighbours, developers, and authorities, even if exaggerated, these perceptions on their own often sustain neglect for decades.
This write-up posits that housing is more than shelter; it is infrastructure that can be directly linked to national socio-economic stability. Secure shelters for all in reality underpin local economies. When housing fails, informal settlements expand, poverty increases, and insecurity grows. One may ask, why build anew when what has already been built could be completed, renovated, or repurposed?
Policy weakness, often explains this oversight. It should be trite, that in the order of housing and infrastructural provision, priority is given to completing, rehabilitating, and repurposing existing unused infrastructure before embarking on new construction projects. This approach prevents waste of public and private capital, reduces pressure on land acquisition, limits urban sprawl, and lowers the environmental costs associated with fresh building materials and construction activities. It also demonstrates fiscal prudence and policy foresight, signaling to citizens and investors that resources are managed responsibly. Also, revitalising existing structures accelerates housing delivery timelines, creates employment in renovation and retrofitting industries, and strengthens community trust in public institutions. Building anew while usable infrastructure decays nearby reflects not development ambition but planning inconsistency.
A nationally coordinated audit of abandoned structures may help. In addition to existing audits, the Ministry of Housing, state and local authorities, professional bodies, and the private sector could collaborate to identify unfinished or idle buildings, clarify ownership, document structural status, and assess potential for repurposing. Prominent legal principles support such actions. Under the Land Use Act 1978, all land is vested in state governors, held in trust for the people.
Hence, unclaimed buildings cannot be entirely outside the law’s reach. Also, the principles of laches and acquiescence reinforce this urgency on the basis that prolonged inaction can weaken ownership claims, while passive consent may signal abandonment and open space for remedial intervention.
Addressing abandonment is not the government’s responsibility alone. Professional associations may offer technical expertise on renovation, adaptive reuse, or selective demolition. Financial institutions may create investment vehicles to reclaim dormant assets and generate revenue or affordable housing. Civil society organisations may monitor local conditions and facilitate participatory planning. Academia may contribute research and data analysis to guide evidence-based interventions. Media outlets may highlight underused structures, raising awareness of their social and economic cost.
In this campaign, interventions should vary. Unsafe or severely deteriorated buildings may need demolition and redevelopment. Structurally sound buildings may be converted into affordable housing, community centres, schools, or clinics and any other facilities which must be dictated by community needs. The underlying principle would be for idle buildings to support community development rather than symbolize neglect.
Abandoned structures like Ile Nla are more than physical eyesores. They are signs of policy neglect, economic inefficiency, and social contradiction. To meet the challenges of urbanisation, housing shortages, and equitable development, stakeholders should focus on completing, reclaiming, and repurposing existing assets. Properties abandoned by deceased owners, seized by the government without follow-up, or held as speculative investments by affluent Nigerians represent opportunities for intervention and responsible utilisation.
Sound housing is not merely an urban ideal; it is a prerequisite for sustainable development.
Until abandoned buildings are identified, assessed, and reintegrated into productive use, Nigeria will continue to see capital wasted, communities underserved, and the promise of urban development deferred. Idle structures may carry stories of mystery, financial manipulation, or social myth, but they also carry immense potential. Unlocking that potential requires coordination, accountability, and the engagement of multiple stakeholders. Only then may Nigeria transform these silent monuments into foundations for socio-economic growth and community stability.
Associate Professor Adegbite is an expert in Law, Inclusion and community development
