Professionals’ Perceived Role of the Private Sector in Housing Delivery in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Public housing delivery in Nigeria has not kept pace with urban demand, and private developers are now central to housing policy. Rapid urbanization has therefore widened the housing deficit in Nigerian cities, and governments cannot close the gap alone. This study investigated the role of the private sector in housing delivery in Ibadan, Oyo State. A quantitative cross-sectional design was adopted. A structured questionnaire survey covered all 90 Estate Surveyors and Valuers (ESVs) on the Oyo State branch register of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV, 2024). Of these, 71 usable questionnaires were returned, a response rate of 78.9%. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages and mean scores) on a 5-point Likert scale. All respondents agreed that the private sector has increased housing availability (mean 4.41, SD 0.49) and introduced innovative technologies (mean 4.68, SD 0.47), and 80.3% agreed that it has improved housing quality (mean 4.00, SD 1.10). All respondents disagreed that it has produced affordable housing (mean 1.66, SD 0.48), and 73.2% disagreed that government–private collaboration has accelerated projects (mean 2.38, SD 1.05). The grand mean of 3.43 hides this split between strong agreement on supply, quality and innovation and strong disagreement on affordability and collaboration. The private sector is therefore perceived as effective in expanding supply and introducing innovation but ineffective in delivering affordable housing. The study recommends affordable-housing mandates for private developments, stronger government support, and clearer collaborative frameworks. The results reflect professional perceptions in one state and should be tested with developers, residents and measured output.