Demographic and Socio-Economic Dynamics of Habitability among Multi-Storey Housing Residents in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

The rapid urbanisation of Lagos has significantly increased the need for multi-storey residential buildings to address limited land availability and rising population density. The challenges associated with population growth driven by urban growth have become major obstacles to achieving sustainable housing and effective urban development. This study aimed at evaluating the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of multi-storey housing residents in Lagos. A quantitative approach was employed with the use of structured questionnaire administered across eleven multi-storey residential developments selected through multistage sampling. Descriptive and inferential analysis were used. Frequency counts and cross-tabulation were used to summarise and identify patterns in the data, while the inferential statistics entailed the use of Chi-square and Cramer’s V. Findings showed that occupants of multi-storey housing in the study area were predominantly male, accounting for 66.8% of the sample, and were largely of working age, with 70.4% aged between 30 and 49 years. Educational attainment was notably high, with 95.6% of residents holding tertiary qualifications, and the majority of the residents are employed in private sector, accounting for 81.0% of the sample. Income distribution skewed upward, with 92.5% of residents earning above ₦300,000 monthly, placing most occupants comfortably above the national income median and tenants outnumbered owner-occupiers by a wide margin, at 68.6%. The study concludes that tenure status income and age are major determinant of habitability in multi-storey housing. It further demonstrates that habitability research in Lagos's multi-storey sector accounts explicitly for tenure status, not only income and age when explaining occupants’ experience.