Nigeria’s real estate market has rapidly evolved into one of the country’s most consequential economic sectors.
Following recent national accounts rebasing, the industry’s valuation climbed to approximately N41.3 trillion in 2024, placing it as the third‑largest contributor to GDP behind trade and crop production and ahead of traditionally dominant sectors such as telecommunications and crude petroleum.
This surge reflects an expanded formal property market, rising urbanisation and increased demand for residential, commercial and infrastructure assets.
Despite its scale, the country faces a persistent housing shortfall.
The Federal Government had disclosed that approximately 15.2 million housing units across Nigeria were structurally inadequate.
The assessment applied the Household Crowding Index, Adequate Housing Index, and Composite Index Methodology, using data from the NPC, NBS, CBN, and other housing institutions, aligned with World Bank standards.
Against this backdrop, more women are founding and leading influential real estate companies, steering landmark projects, and expanding businesses across Nigeria and beyond.
These leaders are redefining industry norms, demonstrating that expertise, vision, and operational excellence are not limited by gender.
This feature is not a ranking, but a spotlight on women who have founded or helm top real estate companies with at least a decade of market presence, credible track records, and offices or projects nationally or internationally.
In honor of Women’s Month, we showcase the achievements, impact, and leadership of these women, who are shaping Nigeria’s built environment and inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs in the real estate sector.
Mercy Torkwase Iyortyer is a pioneering figure in Nigerian quantity surveying and project management, with over 40 years of experience overseeing development and infrastructure projects. Her expertise spans cost management, project delivery, financial oversight, risk management, dispute resolution, and facility management.
- Iyortyer began her career in 1979 as NYSC corper with the Ministry of Works and Housing, Makurdi, and later joined the Federal Capital Development Authority, Abuja, in 1985, rising to the rank of Assistant Chief Quantity Surveyor.
- In 1991, she co-founded Zihabit with her husband, the late Arc. Dr. Philip Zegetar Iyortyer, a visionary architect who had played a pivotal role in relocating Nigeria’s capital from Lagos to Abuja and in constructing iconic government buildings, including the Presidential Villa, Supreme Court, National Assembly Complex, and International Conference Centre. She also serves as Managing Partner of MTI Partnership, a leading quantity surveying consultancy.
Iyortyer’s career is marked by a series of groundbreaking achievements. She was the first female Quantity Surveyor in Nigeria’s Northern Region, the first female chairperson of a NIQS chapter (FCT Chapter), and the founding chairperson of the Women Association of Quantity Surveyors (WAQSN).
She became the first woman to represent NIQS on the Council of the African Association of Quantity Surveyors, the first woman elected Deputy President of NIQS unopposed, and ultimately the first female President of the Institute in its 46-year history.
A Fellow and Past President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Iyortyer is a Registered Quantity Surveyor (RQS) with the Quantity Surveyors’ Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN).
This is not an exhaustive list; there are many other women shaping Nigeria’s real estate sector. None of the individuals featured solicited inclusion, and the list is subject to feedback and will be updated periodically.
