Gender and Demographic Factors in Housing Demand in Lagos State

This study examines how gender and demographic factors shape housing demand patterns across Lagos State, Nigeria. Using a convergent mixed-methods design that integrates quantitative analysis of the 2018/2019 Nigeria Living Standards Measurement Study (n=3,247 households) with qualitative insights from 45 key informant interviews, the research analyzes how patriarchal property regimes, legal pluralism, age structure transitions, and household composition dynamics structure differential housing access. Female-headed households face a 13.7 percentage point deficit in home ownership relative to male-headed counterparts, a disparity rooted in discriminatory inheritance customs, limited collateral capacity, and gendered labor market segmentation. Demographic pressures, including a projected population of 32 million by 2035 and a youthful dependency ratio of 62 percent, intensify housing demand while constraining supply responsiveness. The study identifies four distinct housing demand segments differentiated by gender of household head, income quintile, and spatial location. Findings indicate that the intersection of gender and demographic factors produces compounding disadvantages for women in peripheral urban zones, where infrastructure deficits, tenure insecurity, and limited formal employment converge. The article advances a gendered demographic transition framework situating housing demand within broader processes of urbanization and institutional reform. Policy implications emphasize gender-responsive housing finance instruments, tenure regularization programs targeting women in informal settlements, and demographic forecasting models incorporating intrahousehold bargaining dynamics.