Lagos needs fresh leadership, not selective projects — Adeoye

Laja Adeoye is president and chief executive officer of Fendini Group, a leading real estate developer and gubernatorial aspirant in Lagos State ahead of the 2027 elections. In this interview with INIOBONG IWOK, he spoke on his plans for the state and why he is in the gubernatorial race. He said his approach would be issue-based, while addressing issues such as housing shortages, traffic, and unemployment with practical solutions. Excerpt:

Can you tell Lagosians who you are beyond politics?

I am Prince Laja Adeoye (PLA), a real Estate Entrepreneur, and business man. I am the founder and CEO of Fendini Ltd, a property development and management company, where we deliver smart, secure, and sustainable housing solutions across Nigeria, including landmark projects like Rayfield Gardens City Estate. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Lagos and a Master’s in Property Development and Management from Leadcity University Ibadan, Oyo State.

I come from a heritage rooted in leadership and service. Beyond business, I am a thought leader, media strategist, and passionate advocate for youth empowerment, innovation, and nation-building, driven by the values of integrity, vision, action, and impact.

Why are you seeking to govern Lagos at this time?

Lagos is at a critical crossroads. Our state, Nigeria’s commercial heartbeat, faces persistent challenges, traffic gridlock, flooding, inconsistent policies, civil service inefficiencies, consistent power supply outage for residents and businesses, rising living costs, a severe housing deficit, and insufficient job opportunities for our teeming youth and working population. After careful assessment of the current state of affairs, I believe the time is now for fresh, transformative leadership that moves beyond selective flagship projects to deliver inclusive prosperity for every Lagosian, regardless of class or location. With my proven track record as a successful real estate developer and entrepreneur who has delivered tangible results in urban planning and development, I am ready to bring private-sector efficiency, innovation, and people-centered governance to turn Lagos into a truly prosperous megacity by 2027.

What specific gaps in governance motivated your ambition?

The gaps are clear and urgent: persistent flooding across Lagos, inconsistent policies that puts the people at disadvantage, power supply shortages, whereas Lagos can have independent power projects (IPP) at various business clusters, and residential zones across the IBILE divisions. Inadequate affordable housing that has left many in slums, chronic traffic congestion crippling daily life and productivity, rising cost of living that squeezes families and businesses that further drives and remove the indigenous people away from Lagos to outskirts. Insufficient job creation for youths and women, inadequate healthcare for the aged, women and children, security problems, and over-reliance on federal allocations instead of diversified local economic growth. Current efforts have been incremental and selective, not holistic or inclusive. As someone who understands Lagos’s economic dynamics intimately and knows how to tackles these challenges without being an appendage to any godfather, I am motivated to close these gaps with practical, innovative solutions that put residents first.

The PDP has struggled in Lagos for years—what will you do differently to make the party competitive?

The PDP must evolve from past setbacks into a party of credible, results-driven governance. What I will do differently and demonstrate is to leverage my private-sector experience to introduce innovative, people-centered policies, promote economic diversification, and grassroots mobilisation that reconnects the party with ordinary Lagosians.

I will focus on unity within the PDP and broader opposition forces, transparent accountability, and delivering visible impacts in housing, create friendly and enabling business environment, protect people’s businesses and enterprises, create jobs, and build massive infrastructure that will support more businesses and economic expansion that will attract real FDIs. This is not business as usual; it is about returning Lagos to its people with fresh leadership that challenges the status quo effectively.

How do you plan to challenge the long-standing dominance of the APC in Lagos politics?

By offering a credible, formidable alternative rooted in proven delivery and vision. I represent fresh, innovative, and people-centered leadership that the ruling APC has not provided. Through strategic alliances, like the strong backing from the Lagos For Prosperity Group and galvanising oppositions like IPAC and other committed agents of Better Lagos for ALL, we are building momentum across youths, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and disillusioned residents. My approach will be issue-based: addressing real pains like housing shortages, traffic, and unemployment with practical solutions drawn from my real estate expertise and entrepreneurial success. We will rally all democratic forces, run a robust grassroots campaign, and demonstrate that Lagos deserves better, transformative prosperity, not selective projects at high cost without accountability.

What lessons has PDP learned from previous electoral losses in the state?

In 2023 for instance, i ran for the House of Representatives, but the previous losses have taught us the importance of strong grassroots structures, unified party machinery, and connecting directly with the aspirations of everyday Lagosians rather than relying on national momentum alone.

We have learned that voters reward tangible results, accountability, and inclusive development over rhetoric.

The PDP is now reborn with strategic leadership and a renewed focus on people centered governance. In Lagos, we are intensifying efforts to reclaim power by presenting candidates with proven track records, like myself, who can deliver real development and better Lagos for all and make the party competitive once again.

What is your three-point agenda for Lagos if elected in 2027?

I have more than 3 agenda such as education, healthcare, security, and others, however, based on your questions, my three-point agenda is simple, focused, and actionable: Affordable Housing Revolution, deliver massive low- and middle-income housing through public-private partnerships (PPP), innovative financing models, and sustainable urban planning to end the housing deficit and reduce slums. The reoccurring flooding in Lagos will be worked on to protect residential and businesses. In addition, I will promote civil service reform with a better reward system, that will employ, train and make our administration very efficient. Economic diversification and job creation – boost entrepreneurship, tech hubs, SMEs, tourism, ocean economy, agriculture, and industrial clusters to generate millions of jobs, reduce reliance on federal allocations, and empower youths, women, and underserved communities. In addition, I will work with all critical stakeholders such as the business community, the youths, women and traditional institutions to make life better for all Lagosians fostering unity amongst all. Infrastructure and Sustainable Development – Modernise transportation (expanded rail and BRT), build more roads across the Lagos IBILE divisions, improve education and healthcare access, enhance security, promote local government autonomy, and implement sustainable waste management and environmental protection.

How will your administration address the rising cost of living in Lagos?

We will tackle it head-on by creating sustainable jobs through economic diversification, making housing affordable to free up family incomes, and supporting SMEs and the informal sector with access to finance, training, and markets.

Policies will focus on reducing dependency on imports via local production in agriculture and industry, while ensuring efficient public services that lower daily expenses on transport and utilities. Prosperity must reach every Lagosians not just a few. My administration will also work on stopping multiple and duplicity of tax which is a source of burden to businesses.

What specific reforms will you introduce in transportation, housing, and waste management?

Transportation, we will expand rail networks, build and rehabilitate more roads across the IBILE divisions, build underground drainages and expand, and deepened surface drainages to contain flooding which impact mostly on transportation, modernise BRT operations, and implement smart traffic solutions to ease gridlock and improve mobility for all. Housing, we will launch a revolution in affordable, sustainable schemes using PPPs, adherence to building codes, and innovative financing to provide decent homes for low, and middle, income earners and protect the removal of indigenous people of Lagos due to housing problems. For waste management, we will prioritise sustainable environment practices, modern waste systems, and recycling to keep Lagos clean, green, and livable for future generations.

Lagos is Nigeria’s commercial hub—how will you expand economic opportunities for youths?

By turning Lagos into a hub of opportunity through massive investment in tech hubs, skills development, entrepreneurship programs, and sectors like tourism, agriculture, and industrial clusters. My administration will create millions of sustainable jobs, prioritise youth and women inclusion, and reduce over-dependence on oil or federal revenue by fostering local innovation and private-sector growth. Young people will not just survive; they will thrive and lead the prosperity agenda.

What is your plan for supporting SMEs and informal sector workers? How would you attract foreign investment?

For SMEs and informal sector workers, we will provide easier access to affordable credit, business training, market linkages, and regulatory reforms that protect and empower them as the backbone of our economy. Tax incentives and one stop support centres will help them scale and formalise where beneficial. To attract foreign investment, my administration will create a secure, predictable, and business-friendly environment with improved infrastructure, policy stability, and incentives tailored to key sectors like tech, real estate, tourism, and manufacturing.

Leveraging my international networks and private-sector credibility, we will market Lagos as Africa’s premier investment destination, transparent, innovative, and ready for partnership. Prosperity must be inclusive, and the gain of the FDI will be channeled to create jobs and build capacity for all Lagosians.