A couple of days ago, I stumbled on a LinkedIn debate about the effect of sachetization of FMCGs on the economy. The author, an 'expat' FMCG exec. branded it as "micro luxury", while others, mainly Nigerians, argued that it's "rebranded povety"...

As I read through the comments, my only thought was:

We’ve sachetized everything in Nigeria... So why not land?

So, let's discuss this...

If when people can’t afford 1kg, they buy 50g.
Also... When they can’t afford a full plot, they should be able to own & build on 60sqm.

But, wait a minute... This happens already‼️
Yet our planning standards pretend that this reality doesn’t exist.

Every planning/development ministry's foremost mandate is revenue.
But because these ministries ignore this economic reality, they are faced with a non-compliance 'epidemic.'


So, here's my thought process. 👇👇

📍 Since people are already using and building with quarter-plots and smaller land sizes, albeit illegally, what if we took charge & 'stood in front' of that reality?
📍 And instead of ignoring or criminalizing this reality, why not incorporate it into planning standards?

So, say we planned land use for 80sqm, 60sqm, even less... With proper zoning, density rules, infrastructure overlays.
This would:
✅️ Improve housing access
✅️ Increase compliance
✅️ Reduce chaotic development
✅️ Boost revenue
✅️ Align planning with income realities

... I'll be in the comments to hear what you think about this...

My belief is that:
If cities want compliance, they must first reflect how people actually live.
And "sachetization" can help us achieve this. As well improve access to housing, land use and real estate development?

Sachetization shouldn’t just be an economic coping mechanism.
It could unlock access to housing, inclusive and resilient real estate investments.

Comment, share and let's keep the conersation going.