Copyright Markets Insider
Toronto, Canada, October 22nd, 2025, FinanceWire Octo5 Holdings Limited, founded by Babajide Odusolu, has announced plans to raise $100 million over the next four years to deliver 100,000 affordable homes across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Kaduna. The initiative forms part of the company’s mission to make housing accessible and viable as an investment class across Sub-Saharan Africa. Babajide Odusolu, Founder, Octo5 Holdings From Dream to Reality There are over 30 million working Nigerians, yet fewer than 10 percent own their homes, Odusolu explains. More than 65 percent live in under-serviced or substandard neighborhoods. Octo5’s mission is to make housing accessible and viable as an investment class across Sub-Saharan Africa. Its goal is to become the premier developer, manager, and operator of affordable residential and commercial communities, redefining how Nigerians live, invest, and thrive in urban spaces. Balancing Profitability and Purpose Developing affordable housing in Nigeria has always been challenging. Limited long-term capital, volatile exchange rates, and the tension between profitability and social impact have tested every developer. "For years, we had to cannibalize our own resources by leveraging one project to finance the next," Odusolu says. "That model collapsed during the recent devaluation. Now we raise new pools of capital, build fully funded developments, and only then offer them to the market." This approach allows Octo5 to create products that reflect the realities of modern urban life. Younger professionals increasingly demand studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments instead of sprawling villas. The company is investing in vertical communities like Congress Park, where mid-rise developments balance density with livability and integrate essential amenities such as power, water, and recreation into the community fabric. Ongoing Projects Octo5’s current developments illustrate its commitment to transforming neighborhoods. Ocean Bay Estate continues to set benchmarks for luxury and community planning while Congress Park introduces modern vertical living. Additional ongoing projects include Heron’s Beak, a medium-rise apartment complex, Playa Bonita, an upcoming condominium complex along the coastal road axis; Arthur’s Place, an urban regeneration mini community on the Lagos mainland, and Falcon Heights, Guzape, a proposed urban deluxe community in the Nation’s capital city, Abuja. All these projects constitute pilot schemes designed to illustrate Octo5’s strategy for fusing mixed-use residential and commercial spaces to foster integrated community living. Each project aligns with Octo5’s mission to provide fully serviced, secure, and high-quality residential options across Nigeria. Innovation in Ownership Octo5 is expanding access to real estate investment through technology solutions such as STOW, designed to enable fractional ownership. This model allows professionals to co-own investment properties across Nigeria’s urban centers, encouraging disciplined savings and making property acquisition more attainable. “Why should an apartment worth $200,000 be out of reach when ten professionals can each own a fraction and share the guaranteed rewards?” Odusolu notes. The company has also developed PropKeys, a digital platform that enables property owners to generate consistent returns through short- and mid-term rentals. Odusolu explains that by using PropKeys, investors can now benefit directly from the strong demand for serviced accommodations in cities such as Lagos. Strengthening Investor Confidence Octo5 has elected to focus on aggregation, creating communities where thousands of professionals pay affordable rents for high-quality, fully serviced housing. “Our goal is to grow the rental-based housing stock while insulating investors from inflation shocks and currency volatility, delivering stable yields,” Odusolu explains. $100 Million Housing Development Plan Octo5 plans to raise $100 million over the next four years to deliver 100,000 homes across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Kaduna. The strategy is structured in two phases, an initial $10 million pilot followed by a $90 million scale-up once proof of concept is established. The strategy seeks to enable Institutional investors to commit long-term capital through structured debt notes into the various projects, while retail investors are enabled to co-own these properties via STOW fractional ownership schemes. Aligning With Vision 2030 Odusolu draws inspiration from Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the ambitious urban regeneration exemplified by NEOM. “When I look at NEOM, I see what is possible when leadership commits to bold urban renewal,” he says. “Nigeria can and must do the same. For investors such as the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Nigeria offers both social impact and profit potential — investments here can transform the housing landscape while delivering long-term, sustainable returns.” Integrity as Currency At the core of Octo5’s resilience is a culture of integrity. “It means being a person of your word by prioritizing investors, homeowners, and partners above personal gain. That is why people trust us,” Odusolu states. The Road Ahead Expansion plans extend beyond Lagos. Projects in Abuja, luxury beach-facing apartments along the coast, and developments in Epe, Lagos’s next frontier, are underway. The long-term vision is to scale beyond Nigeria into other African markets facing similar housing deficits. Nigeria’s real housing demand requires at least 700,000 homes annually over a five-year period to achieve a degree of adequacy in supply. According to Odusolu, the potential housing market in Nigeria, particularly Lagos, exceeds $200 billion at current rates. “With the right partners and patient capital, this market can unlock immense value,” he concludes. “Octo5 Holdings Limited is prepared to deploy its 25 years of experience to lead this effort and empower a new generation of African homeowners and investors.” The interview clip is available here
