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The UNILAG Centre of Housing and Sustainable Development came to being in furtherance of the expectations contained in Article 1 of the MOU signed on 14th of August, 2012 between the University of Lagos and The Nigerian-UK Housing Society (NUHS) and its partner, UK’s Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). The MOU established the UNILAG Centre of Housing and Sustainable Development as a flagship resource designed to meet the challenges facing the housing sector in Africa. The Centre was officially opened to commence activities on Monday 2nd December 2013. Since it opened, it has successfully hosted practitioners in the real estate sector in training programmes covering core areas of practice such as real estate development and facility management. The Centre is partly funded by grants from the African Development Bank and is the first of six Centres of excellence to be established in African Universities.
CENTRE MANAGEMENT TEAM
Timothy Gbenga Nubi: FOUNDING DIRECTOR
Timothy Gbenga Nubi is a Housing finance and Urban Regeneration expert. His work focuses on finding a lasting solution to housing and urban development/management problems. He holds a PhD in Construction Management from the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. He is the Founding Director, University of Lagos Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development – The Centre which was sponsored by African Development Bank as a facility commissioned to deliver a wide range of capacity building courses and academic research in the field of housing and real estate development and management. Under his directorship, the Centre recently won the rights to host a Centre of excellence in urbanization and habitable cities under the funding of African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) which 200,000 dollars annually for five years. He is the current Chairman, Housing Committee University of Lagos and the Director of Foundation Studies. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles and supervised over 40 postgraduate level theses. He was one of the two Africans that joined other emerging global leaders from 24 countries across the globe for 2004 Eisenhower Fellowship Exchange Program in Philadelphia USA. He is a prolific speaker, writer and believer in the sustainable city. He played a major role in the formation and development of Real Estate Development Association of Nigeria (REDAN) where he served as an executive member (South West Coordinator) from 2002-2011. He is currently a member of REDAN Board of Trustees. He served in the Advisory Council of Habitat for Humanity, Nigeria and First World Communities Ltd. He has over 29 years of experience conducted researches on various ramifications of housing finance and urban regeneration in Nigeria and West Africa. He is currently leading research into the dynamics of the Lagos Housing Market, preparatory to the preparation of the Lagos Housing Master plan. His wealth of experience in engaging with the government, communities, NGOs and Private Sector Organizations in Nigeria, UK, US and Netherlands has led to well established policy documents and implementation of key projects in housing and urban regeneration in Nigeria.
Taibat Lawanson: DIRECTOR
Taibat Lawanson is an urban planning and development specialist with interests in urban informality, environmental justice and pro-poor development. Her work focuses on strengthening formal – informal linkages for urban service delivery in African urban contexts. She holds a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. She is currently an associate professor of urban planning, and teaches courses relating to informality, municipal development and urban management. She also leads the Pro-Poor Development Research cluster at the University of Lagos, and has authored 50 peer-reviewed articles and supervised 30 graduate level theses. She has won the Faculty Best researcher (Environmental Sciences) award at the University of Lagos five times. She is a pioneer World Social Science Fellow of the International Social Science Council, 2016 Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Centre fellow, and 2017 DAAD visiting professor at the Habitat Unit, Technical University, Berlin-Germany. She is a member of the board of Directors of the Lagos Studies Association, as well as the international Editorial advisory board of the Area Development and Policy Journal. She is a registered town planner and a United Nations Policy Expert on Urban Governance, Institutional and Capacity Development.
Basirat Oyalowo: CO-ORDINATOR
Dr Oyalowo is a specialist in housing research and real estate sustainability. In addition to lecturing in the Department of Estate Management, she is also co-ordinator of the University of Lagos Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development. She holds a B.Sc in Estate Management from the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria, M.A in Housing policy and management from the Northumbria University at Newcastle, UK and a Phd from the University of Lagos. Basirat was the winner of keenly contested UK’s Chartered Institute of Housing North East best full-time student Award in 2006. She has contributed and implemented aspects of two chapters (Housing and Human Capital Development) of the Ogun State’s 25 year Regional Development Plan, being the Technical consultant for the Regional Plan Office, Office of the Governor, Ogun State, Nigeria. Before this, she interned in (then) English Partnerships, UK supporting the regeneration of two communities in NE England. In her current role, Basirat anchored processes that led to a grant award for the establishment of a centre of excellence in housing and sustainable development under the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) platform; which has led to the creation of eight research clusters at the University. Her recent housing research activities include her PhD study on co-operative societies and housing supply in Lagos, Nigeria; which is now being incorporated into the housing finance framework in Nigeria. She has also carried out comparative studies on Africa’s housing sector and studies in slum communities and regeneration. Her research activities in real estate sustainability has been based on exploring the depth of understanding, barriers and drivers of sustainability amongst market players, valuation of sustainable real estate and sustainable land policies. She wishes to expand her scope to comparative studies on housing and sustainability in Africa and seeks partnerships to promote and execute trans-disciplinary research activities in these areas. She has won the Faculty Best researcher (Environmental Sciences) award at the University of Lagos five times. She is a pioneer World Social Science Fellow of the International Social Science Council, 2016 Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Centre fellow, and 2017 DAAD visiting professor at the Habitat Unit, Technical University, Berlin-Germany. She is a member of the board of Directors of the Lagos Studies Association, as well as the international Editorial advisory board of the Area Development and Policy Journal. She is a registered town planner and a United Nations Policy Expert on Urban Governance, Institutional and Capacity Development.
Adeniyi Oluwatoyin: SECRETARY
Mrs Adeniyi is the Centre’s Secretary. She holds a Bachelor Degree with Honours in Economics from Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State and a Masters in Economics from the University of Lagos, Akoka Lagos. She provides administrative support to the different activities of the Centre and to a number of research projects that has been carried out by the Centre. She also provides secretariat support for the day to day running of the Centre. She has core competences in budget preparation for research projects and events. In addition, she is responsible for office management, Centre’s financial management and the Centre’s facility management. She is strongly motivated when faced with achieving impressive results; she has a ‘can do’ attitude. She is endowed with strong leadership and team development skills, interpersonal and analytical skills.
