Across West Africa, I’ve watched the housing deficit widen year after year, millions of families still searching for homes that are not just affordable, but truly livable. As someone who has spent years in construction and community development, I’ve seen firsthand how governments and private developers roll out ambitious housing projects that never quite fulfill their promise. Too often, these schemes end up as isolated estates, clusters of housing “units” disconnected from the social, economic, and infrastructural heartbeat of the cities they’re meant to serve.
From my experience, the issue is rarely with the construction quality itself. The real problem lies in sequencing, the order in which we plan, build, and connect. Too many projects treat housing as a checklist: build the walls, fix the roofs, and hand over the keys. But a home is more than a structure; it’s part of an ecosystem. Without access roads, reliable utilities, schools, healthcare, and job opportunities, even the most beautifully constructed estates can fail to attract or retain residents. The result? Empty “ghost estates” where life was meant to flourish.
At Dutum, we’ve learned that true development starts with community-building. We must think beyond delivering houses to creating environments where families can thrive. This is why sequencing is not just a technical process for us but a philosophy that guides how we approach every project.
The Importance of Sequencing in Building Livable Communities
When I talk about sequencing, I mean the careful orchestration of how and when different components of a community come to life. It determines whether a development becomes a thriving neighborhood or an abandoned estate.
A livable community is built on interconnected layers, transport, utilities, schools, health centers, commerce, and housing. Deliver them in the wrong order, and the entire system falters. For instance, building 1,000 homes without first ensuring accessible roads or water supply is a recipe for frustration. Residents struggle to commute, face high costs of living, and soon lose faith in the estate’s promise.
The guiding principle I emphasize to our teams is simple: a home’s value is defined not only by its walls but by the networks that sustain it. Roads, water, light, connectivity, these are the true pillars of livability.
Step 1: Prioritizing Connective Infrastructure
The first and most crucial step in building any community is leading with infrastructure. Accessibility and connectivity are the bedrock of every successful project. Without them, even the best housing designs remain out of reach for those who need them most.
Access Roads and Transport
In every Dutum project, we prioritize arterial and internal road networks before the first home goes up. A good road system doesn’t just improve mobility, it links people to schools, jobs, markets, and healthcare. Too many estates in West Africa are isolated because access roads were delayed or deprioritized.
Utilities and Networked Services
Infrastructure is not just tied to roads, it’s also about power, water and sewage. These services must be integrated into broader city networks, not added as an afterthought. Where public utilities fall short, we pursue innovative solutions like solar-hybrid systems, independent power producers, or borehole networks, phased in as communities grow. Our goal is to ensure that when families move in, they have immediate access to reliable, sustainable utilities.
The Risk of Ignoring Infrastructure
Over the years, I’ve seen what happens when developers overlook this step, empty estates, financial losses, and communities that never take root. But when infrastructure comes first, everything else follows. Roads bring access. Utilities bring comfort. And together, they create the foundation for vibrant, enduring communities. At Dutum, this belief shapes how we plan and deliver. We build systems that sustain people, enhance quality of life, and stand the test of time.
Step 2: Phasing Development Around Community Anchors
I’ve learned that once the core infrastructure; roads, drainage, power, and water, is in place, the next critical step is establishing what I call community anchors. These are the facilities and spaces that bring life to a development, the everyday touchpoints that make people choose not just to live somewhere, but to stay.
Starting with Mixed-Use Clusters
Too often, developers begin with endless rows of uniform houses, expecting life to fill in later. At Dutum, we take the opposite approach. Our first development phase always includes a healthy mix of residential and non-residential uses, shops, clinics, schools, and open public spaces. This blend creates immediate activity and makes the community functional from day one. When people can buy groceries, send their children to school, and access healthcare within walking distance, the estate begins to breathe as a real neighborhood.
Avoiding the “Ghost Estate” Trap
I’ve seen promising projects fall into the trap of becoming “ghost estates” simply because they ignored this sequencing. Families move in, only to realize they must travel long distances for basic needs, and soon move out. By deliberately phasing residential blocks around active community anchors, we ensure that every new housing cluster gains value from its proximity to social and commercial life. That’s how livability and sustainability takes root.
Building Through Incremental Growth
At Dutum, we favor incremental expansion. Each phase is self-sustaining, with its own set of essential services before the next begins. This phased model spreads infrastructure costs over time, builds investor confidence, and keeps buyer demand strong. It’s a disciplined approach that ensures each step forward adds lasting value.
Step 3: Integrating Social Infrastructure with Housing
A housing project only becomes a community when families can grow, connect, and feel supported. That’s why social infrastructure such as education, healthcare, recreation is fundamental.
Education and Healthcare
Early provision of schools and healthcare facilities is critical. Even temporary or modular solutions can make a big difference.
Community Governance Structures
Setting up residents’ associations from the start encourages shared ownership of the estate’s future. These bodies can manage waste disposal, security, and maintenance, ensuring that services remain consistent over time.
Public Spaces and Social Interaction
Open spaces such as playgrounds, parks, or community centers foster social interaction and strengthen bonds among residents. These features may seem secondary, but they play a central role in building trust, reducing crime, and enhancing quality of life.
Why It Matters
When housing and social infrastructure evolve together, people put down roots. Property values rise, investor confidence grows, and the estate naturally attracts a diverse mix of residents. The opposite, as we’ve seen too many times, leads to isolation, neglect, and eventual decline.
Step 4: Aligning Housing Delivery with Real Market Demand
I’ve seen firsthand how many housing projects across West Africa fail because of poor alignment with actual market demand. Too often, developers build thousands of houses without confirming whether people can afford them or even want them. At Dutum, we’ve learned that true success in housing delivery comes from listening to the market, not forcing it.
Flexible Land Use
We also believe in designing with flexibility in mind. Our zoning approach reserves certain plots for potential future use, whether for schools, retail centers, or light industries. This adaptability ensures that our communities evolve alongside residents’ needs, remaining vibrant and relevant for decades.
Step 5: Embedding Jobs and Mobility for Long-Term Sustainability
A house alone does not make a community. For any residential development to thrive, it must provide access to jobs, commerce, and mobility. Otherwise, residents face long commutes, higher living costs, and ultimately, an urge to move elsewhere.
Jobs and Local Commerce
Frameworks where commercial spaces, workshops, and small business hubs are integrated into housing schemes should be created. This allows residents to live, work, and spend within their communities, stimulating local economic growth.
Mobility and Transport
At Dutum, we prioritize accessibility, to feeder roads, bus terminals, bicycle lanes etc. Our projects are designed to keep residents connected to the wider city, because a community that isolates its people from opportunity cannot sustain itself in the long run.
Strategies for Affordability and Inclusive Housing
At Dutum, we’ve learned that true affordability is about creating systems that align real household incomes with dignified living standards. For any housing scheme in West Africa to thrive, inclusivity and affordability must be intentional outcomes, not afterthoughts.
- Flexible Housing Typologies: We’ve moved away from the idea of “one-size-fits-all” housing. Instead, we design communities with diverse housing options, from single-room starter apartments for young professionals to multi-bedroom family homes. This mix ensures inclusivity across income brackets while maintaining aesthetic and social cohesion. It also allows people to grow within their communities instead of outgrowing them.
- Innovative Financing: One of the biggest barriers to homeownership in our region is access to finance, mortgage penetration remains low and interest rates increase. Creative approaches such as rent-to-own schemes, cooperative housing finance, or micro-mortgages tailored to informal sector workers can expand access.
- Sustainability as Affordability: We also see sustainability as an extension of affordability. A truly affordable home must remain affordable to live in. That’s why our designs emphasize energy-efficient construction and renewable energy integration. By reducing long-term household expenses, we help families build stability and resilience.
Lessons from Across Africa: Adaptable Models and Best Practices
Across the continent, I’ve observed that every successful housing project, whether in East, West, or Southern Africa, shares one common trait: integration. Housing that connects people to livelihoods, mobility, and sustainability always endures longer than those built on speed and quantity alone.
Kenya
Incremental Housing in Nairobi: Nairobi has introduced flexible models that allow residents to start small and expand their homes over time. This incremental approach empowers low- and middle-income families to own homes earlier, while reducing the risk of large-scale abandonment.
South Africa
Integrated Social Housing: South Africa’s integrated housing model stands out for placing homes near schools, clinics, and reliable transport links. By designing developments close to jobs and urban centers, they’ve built communities that last.
Nigeria
Challenges with Mass Housing Estates: Here in Nigeria, we’ve seen too many projects fail because of poor sequencing, houses built before roads, drainage, or utilities. The result is higher living costs and low occupancy. These examples have reinforced one of our core beliefs at Dutum: housing must never come before infrastructure. Each stage must be integrated, ensuring livability from day one.
Rwanda
Kigali’s Green Growth Model: Rwanda offers a powerful example of how sustainability can drive inclusivity. Kigali’s eco-friendly developments integrate clean energy, walkable layouts, and efficient waste management, showing that green growth and affordability are not opposites.
Dutum Group
At Dutum, we recognize that the future of urban development in West Africa lies not in quick fixes but in sustainable, carefully sequenced approaches. Our philosophy aligns with three guiding principles: responsibility, innovation, and impact.
- Responsibility: We see housing as a responsibility to the people who will live, work, and raise families in these communities. Every project we take on is guided by the need to leave a positive legacy, ensuring infrastructure, safety, and livability are not compromised.
- Innovation: We embrace innovative strategies exploring eco-friendly materials that lower costs and allow flexibility.
- Impact: Beyond physical structures, Dutum is committed to community empowerment. Our initiatives extend to education, environmental stewardship, and capacity building, ensuring residents not only occupy homes but thrive within sustainable ecosystems.
Through this commitment, we position ourselves as a partner in shaping the future of housing across West Africa. We understand that success will be measured not by the number of units delivered, but by the strength and sustainability of the communities we help create.
The story of housing in West Africa is at a crossroads. For decades, mass housing projects have struggled due to poor planning, weak infrastructure, and lack of integration with broader economic realities.
The path forward requires sequencing development around infrastructure, social services, and economic opportunities.
Governments, private developers, and communities must work together in innovative partnerships, embracing financing models that cross-subsidize affordability while embedding sustainability at every stage.
At Dutum, we believe that housing is about creating environments where people can live, work, and grow. Our commitment to sustainable community development reflects this understanding and drives us to keep pushing for better practices in urban development.
Leave a Reply