Post-Pandemic Adaptive Reuse: Transforming Underutilized Commercial Buildings into Affordable Housing in Ibadan, Nigeria: Office-to-Housing Conversion in Nigeria

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated structural changes in workplace organization, resulting in sustained vacancy in commercial buildings across many urban centres. At the same time, Nigerian cities continue to experience severe housing deficits, particularly for low- and lower-middle-income households. This coexistence of underutilized commercial space and unmet residential demand presents a critical urban planning challenge. Despite growing international interest in office-to-residential conversion, limited research has examined the feasibility of such adaptive reuse strategies within rapidly urbanizing African contexts characterized by infrastructural instability, regulatory rigidity, and constrained development finance. This study evaluates the architectural feasibility, economic viability, regulatory constraints, and affordability implications of converting commercial buildings into residential housing in Lagos, Abuja, and Ibadan. Using a mixed-methods approach that integrates survey data, comparative case analysis, and policy evaluation, the research examines building adaptability, service retrofitting requirements, zoning limitations, and financing barriers. Findings indicate that while many reinforced concrete office buildings possess structural capacity for conversion, high retrofitting costs, approval delays, and limited incentive frameworks significantly restrict scalability. Furthermore, market-driven conversion alone is unlikely to deliver affordable housing without targeted public-sector intervention. By engaging with this case, readers will be able to assess the practical viability of commercial-to-residential adaptive reuse in Nigerian cities and evaluate the policy reforms necessary to align post-pandemic vacancy with inclusive housing delivery.