For decades, Nigerian investors have navigated economic uncertainty by leaning into familiar instruments—government bonds, blue-chip equities, fixed deposits, and, when necessary, cash-heavy real estate holdings in urban centres like Lagos and Abuja. But as persistent naira depreciation, foreign exchange restrictions, and inflation continue to erode the value of localized wealth, a structural recalibration is taking place.

High-net-worth individuals and savvy middle-class earners are increasingly broadening their investment mandates—both geographically and tactically—as diversification becomes central to wealth preservation. With Nigeria absent from recent rankings of the safest countries for foreign investment, investors are reevaluating their asset geography in pursuit of long-term resilience. While domestic assets remain foundational, there’s a rising preference for tangible, globally situated real estate as a diversification hedge against currency instability and policy unpredictability at home.

The Lagos Baseline: Holding the Fort at Home

For many, Lagos remains a primary node in their portfolio matrix. The commercial capital’s mix of residential estates, commercial high-rises, and industrial land makes it a flexible yet familiar terrain. More importantly, it serves a strategic purpose: anchoring wealth in a city whose property market, though cyclical, is backed by population momentum and urban expansion.

Emerging neighbourhoods such as Ibeju-Lekki, Sangotedo, and parts of Ikeja are drawing interest from investors seeking land banking opportunities or rental yields driven by demand for mixed-use developments. Lagos real estate listings highlight the breadth of available options, ranging from high-rise condos to gated duplexes—each representing a physical hedge in an increasingly intangible economy.

Dollarization via Miami: Strategic International Real Assets

Yet for investors with greater liquidity and international access, the pivot isn’t just away from Nigeria—it’s toward the dollar. Miami, with its dual appeal as both a financial hub and a lifestyle destination, is proving magnetic.

What makes Miami compelling isn’t just its luxury condos or beachfront appeal. It’s that U.S. real estate offers a dollar-denominated refuge from the naira’s fluctuations—serving as a practical vehicle for international diversification. Additionally, for families contemplating eventual relocation, education abroad, or second citizenship programmes, these purchases function as both lifestyle enablers and capital stabilizers.

According to trends tracked across urban housing markets, buyers from emerging economies—including Nigeria—are concentrating their purchases in areas with strong rental potential and limited inventory, ensuring asset appreciation over the medium term.

Beyond the Coasts: Asset Preservation in Middle America

Interestingly, a subset of Nigerian investors is eschewing high-profile cities altogether in favour of quieter, more affordable locations that offer consistent returns. Cities across the American Midwest, such as those in Iowa, have come under the radar—not because they are flashy, but because they are stable.

In North Iowa, for example, property values remain accessible, rental demand is steady due to regional employment centres, and ownership costs are comparatively low. For Nigerian investors seeking capital preservation over speculative upside, realty options in North Iowa are offering a compelling entry point into the U.S. housing market with reduced exposure to volatility.

What’s more, ownership in such secondary markets often comes with fewer regulatory frictions, easier financing structures, and lower ongoing tax burdens—all attractive attributes when managing foreign assets from afar.

Toronto’s Pipeline Approach: Building Equity into the Future

Canada, too, has found favour among Nigerian investors—but for a different reason. In Toronto, the appeal lies not just in what exists, but in what’s coming. The city’s pre-construction ecosystem allows investors to “reserve” property in future towers or communities years in advance, often with staggered payments and no immediate mortgage burden.

This model resonates with Nigerian buyers looking to hedge against inflation over the long term. By securing a property today at a fixed price—even if delivery is 3 to 5 years out—they effectively lock in value before inflationary pressure takes its toll.

Several upcoming residential projects in Toronto are offering buyers phased payment plans and forward-booking incentives—early-access investment opportunities that align with broader diversification strategies among Nigerians planning long-term capital deployment abroad.

Additionally, as Nigeria tightens capital controls, the gradual payment model allows capital to be moved abroad legally and incrementally, avoiding the shock of a lump-sum transfer or FX squeeze.

Strategic Asset Dispersion: Beyond Bricks and Mortar

This shift toward physical international assets isn’t merely about building wealth—it’s about preserving sovereignty over it. As trust in local financial systems ebbs and inflation eats into fixed-income earnings, the desire to hold assets in politically and economically stable jurisdictions has grown stronger.

Real estate, unlike equities or mutual funds, also offers non-financial benefits: immigration pathways, educational positioning, or even strategic relocation plans. These auxiliary gains are becoming part of the investment rationale, especially for Nigerians anticipating longer-term life transitions.

Conclusion: Real Estate as the New Reserve

In many ways, today’s Nigerian investor is not just seeking yield. They’re seeking resilience. They are de-risking against monetary policy shifts, diversifying across currency zones, and positioning assets in globally relevant geographies.

Domestic holdings in Lagos will likely remain foundational. But increasingly, they are being complemented—sometimes outweighed—by targeted investments in North America’s most resilient housing corridors. Whether through speculative future builds in Toronto, turnkey units in Miami, or quiet equity compounds in North Iowa, real estate is proving itself a globally portable store of value.

In a landscape where the rules of wealth preservation are being rewritten, owning a piece of the world—literally—may be the most strategic move of all.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Pet bottles and sachet water, popularly known as pure water, are not included in the ban on single-use plastics, the Lagos State government has confirmed.

Recall that a few days ago, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources in Lagos, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, announced that the state government would enforce the ban on single-use plastics from Sunday, July 1, 2025.

This created confusion as many consumers of sachet water, which is very popular in the metropolis, wondered what alternatives the state government has provided.

Responding to this, Mr Wahab said the position of the government has not changed that only single use plastics consisting of styrofoam food packs and all forms of polystyrene cups (disposal cups) are banned.

“Other items banned in the single use plastics category are plastic straws, plastic cutlery and all single use carrier bags and nylons that have less than 40 micron thickness,” he clarified, adding that as part of moves to demonstrate the state’s seriousness, it has already inaugurated the newly created Plastic Waste Management Fund which is a collaborative effort between the state government, the producers and the Producers Responsibility Organisations (PROs).

He explained that the plastics waste management fund would be financed by contributions from producers and major importers and will be jointly managed to address plastic waste challenges in the state.

Mr Wahab reiterated the determination of the state government to go ahead with the enforcement of the ban on July 1 after the expiration of a moratorium of 18 months which it had given since the announcement of the intention to effect the ban in January 2024.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

From December 2025, motorists will begin to pay to use the controversial Lagos-Calabar coastal highway currently under construction, the federal government has hinted.

The Minister of Works, Mr Dave Umahi, gave this hint in a feature interview for an upcoming State House documentary marking President Bola Tinubu’s second anniversary.

On May 29, 2023, Mr Tinubu took over from Mr Muhammadu Buhari, and began some reforms, which have been unpopular among Nigerians because of the pains they have been made to go through.

On the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Minister revealed that over 80 per cent of Section 1—spanning 47.47 kilometres from Ahmadu Bello Way to the Lekki Deep Sea Port and terminating at Eleko Junction—had been completed, adding that work is also progressing on Section 2, which covers 55 kilometres from Eleko Junction to the Lagos-Ogun border.

“By December, we will toll Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. We project a 10-year return on investment. The road has solar-powered lighting and CCTV infrastructure and offers carbon credit advantages.

“It is more than a road—it is an economic corridor and a catalyst for regional growth. We have completed 30 kilometres of Section 1 and are on track to complete an additional 10 in Section 2. These are six-lane, concrete-paved highways.

“Just days ago, we flagged off Sections 3 and 3B—65 kilometres in total—covering 38 kilometres in Cross River State and 27 kilometres in Akwa Ibom. The host communities’ excitement speaks to these projects’ transformative impact,” he stated.

 “God gave him the vision for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway seven years ago. Today, he is actualising that vision. These projects testify to his unwavering commitment to national development and a better future for all Nigerians,” the former Governor of Ebonyi State added.

Giving an update on the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Mr Umahi explained its historic significance, noting that the route was conceived during the Shehu Shagari administration over four decades ago.

“The Trans-Saharan Trade Route dates back to colonial-era planning. President Tinubu is now bringing these long-abandoned visions to life.”

He reaffirmed that the legacy projects are economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and forward-looking.

He also disclosed that all the governors in the Southeast region are supporting President Tinubu, urging the undecided, including the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, to join the train.

He said the region was witnessing a new wave of federal attention and infrastructure development under his boss.

“The Igbo man is enterprising and blessed with God-given wisdom. What Ndi Igbo seek is fairness, Nigeria that treats every zone equally. That is what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing.

“Before, when I was governor and deputy governor, one of our major concerns in Ebonyi State was the lack of federal presence. But today, nobody remembers that issue anymore. Under President Tinubu, at least four federal projects are ongoing in Ebonyi State,” he stated.

He noted that while cries of marginalisation used to dominate conversations in the South East, the current administration has made significant progress in addressing long-standing concerns about infrastructure and appointments.

“Today, the South East has a Minister of Works for the first time, and we’re seeing real projects—Port Harcourt to Enugu, Enugu to Abakaliki, Enugu to Onitsha, Onitsha to Owerri, and the Second Niger Bridge. The President has already paid 30 per cent of the cost of that bridge.

“All the governors in the South East, regardless of party affiliation, are working with the President. We’re even planning a summit to bring together all South-East leaders to endorse the President for the 2027 elections formally. We want our projects to be completed, the country’s unity to be strengthened and proper integration of Ndi Igbo,” Mr Umahi disclosed.

“Leadership is not about self—it’s about the people. If someone else is already doing what you would have done for your people, support him. I call on my brother, His Excellency Peter Obi, to join us and work with Mr. President.

“He must be part of this summit where we will collectively endorse President Tinubu for the 2027 election. I say it boldly: the South East is happy with the President”, he added.