In the vibrant tapestry of Nigeria’s real estate landscape, few organizations carry the weight of expectation quite like the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN). Established in 2002, REDAN stands at a critical juncture with the principal hope that it becomes the umbrella body for organized private-sector players in housing development.
REDAN has long tasked itself with a mandate that resonates deeply with the nation’s core needs. This includes fostering affordable and sustainable housing solutions to bridge Nigeria’s staggering 37-million-unit housing deficit, advocating for policy reforms, ensuring transparency and professionalism in the sector, and collaborating with government agencies like the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (FMHUD) and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to drive mass housing delivery. It should ideally be the first port of call for federal, state, and local governments, NGOs, international investors, and private entities seeking to engage in housing programmes. Additionally, REDAN’s role should be pivotal in reshaping the enabling environment for sustainable economic growth through real estate.
Kabiyesi Sir,
In a twist that blends tradition with triumph, I must extend my personal, sincere, and formal congratulations and by extension that of the esteemed members of REDAN to our President, Prince Akintoye Adeoye, on his well-deserved elevation and confirmation as a Kabiyesi, the Oluoke of Okeigbo in Ondo State. This conferment of a traditional royal stool is not just a significant personal achievement and an honour that reflects well on the national stature of its bearer, but also symbolizes a cultural anchor for the association. We welcome this elevation and the potential it brings for fostering cultural values and extending REDAN’s influence into new spheres.
Navigating the Rhythm
The inception of the current executive committee, led by Prince a seasoned legal practitioner, property developer, and former Deputy President with over three decades of expertise as the 5th National President was met with thunderous applause and a wave of optimism. The Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko led executive had just been dissolved after months of internal crisis. There was a clear recognition that the association needed reinvigoration. Members were desperate for a clean break, for decisive leadership, for the glory days when REDAN would truly be the voice of the housing sector in Nigeria. A strategic move was the constitution of various committees, designed to tap into the expertise of its members at no cost and craft a roadmap to restore REDAN’s glory and focus.
Eighteen months later, the silence is deafening. Most of those committees have never held a second or third meeting. One such committee was established to develop key strategic initiatives. A draft report was painstakingly prepared by its sub-committee, including blueprints for a secure, revenue-generating membership portal and a capacity-building framework academy that could have positioned REDAN as the gold standard for developer training in Nigeria and West Africa.
Elements of the draft report were quietly cherry-picked. These key recommendations were lifted and poorly implemented by persons who had a glimpse of the draft copy, then rolled out in ways that served narrow interests rather than the collective good. The membership portal and capacity-building initiatives ideas meant to revitalize the association and form the digital heartbeat of REDAN were launched half-baked, to our collective dismay.
Attempts to secure audiences to discuss or formally present these recommendations have largely failed. When a response finally comes, it is to fix a meeting that is postponed indefinitely. Members who invested time, money, and expertise feel used their work taken, their voices silenced, their contributions reduced to worthless opportunities.
Confronting a Practical Dilemma
The ascension of our President to Kabiyesi is a strategic opportunity of influence that can amplify REDAN’s advocacy. The demands of a Kabiyesi are immense and all-consuming, requiring a focus on the customs and traditions of a kingdom. Therefore, our true congratulations must be paired with honest assessment. Royalty and national traditional obligations must now take precedence over executive leadership of a national trade association, as they are incompatible in practice.
The Kabiyesi’s staff should be guiding REDAN toward its mandate of sustainable, culturally attuned housing for all Nigerians. This new reality necessitates sober reflection.
How Should the Masquerade Dance?
Below are not the questions of rebels but the questions of esteemed members and stakeholders who care:
1. Committees; Should the committees set up to recommend key reforms and produce a roadmap for revitalizing the association be activated or allowed to remain comatose?
2. Institutional Reforms and Constitutional Amendments; Should there be a revisit?
3. Reassigning Responsibilities ; Dissolution, Reconstitution, or Delegation?
4. REDAN’s Current Trajectory vs Its Mandate?
5. How does REDAN leverage Kabiyesi’s influence?
6. How does REDAN monitor and measure progress?
The masquerade may dance beautifully, but when the drums stop, the people still need roofs over their heads. This is the moment for REDAN to rise, reorganize, and recommit to the millions of Nigerians who wait for affordable, sustainable, and dignified housing.
Hon (Alh) Adamu Rabiu Bakondare is a Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist on Policy, Finance, Risk, Politics, Good Governance & an Advocate for Sustainable Development and writes from Kaduna.
