By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The dream of urban living in Nigeria is increasingly slipping beyond the reach of millions. Across major cities such as Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Jos, Kano and parts of Nasarawa State, the soaring cost of accommodation is forcing low- and middle-income earners out of formal housing and into overcrowded settlements and urban slums.
What was once considered a temporary housing challenge has now evolved into a full-scale urban crisis. Rent increases of between 30 and 70 per cent have become common in many cities, while landlords increasingly demand one or two years’ rent upfront. For many Nigerians already battling inflation, stagnant wages and rising living costs, decent accommodation has become unaffordable.
Urban planners and housing experts warn that the trend is accelerating the growth of informal settlements where access to clean water, sanitation, electricity, healthcare and good roads is either poor or completely absent.
The situation reflects warnings by UN-Habitatthat rapid urbanisation without adequate planning often results in severe housing shortages and the expansion of slums. Across Nigeria, the widening gap between housing demand and supply has left tenants with few alternatives while giving landlords and property agents enormous leverage to dictate rental conditions.
For many families, relocation is no longer a choice but a survival strategy.
Sandra Joshua, a civil servant in Abuja, said the sudden increase in her rent forced her out of the city centre.
“I was living in a highbrow area in Abuja, but my landlord suddenly increased the rent from N1.3 million to N2.5 million annually for a self-contained apartment,” she said. “He also demanded two years’ payment in advance. I had no option but to leave.”
Joshua said she eventually relocated to Rugan Jully in Mararaba, a densely populated settlement in Nasarawa State, where she now pays N500,000 annually.
“At least the rent is cheaper, but there are no basic amenities like what we had in Abuja,” she added.
Her experience reflects the growing migration of workers and families from city centres to poorly developed outskirts where housing costs are relatively lower. However, these communities often lack infrastructure and social services, exposing residents to difficult living conditions.
A retired director in the federal civil service, who asked not to be named, said the worsening economy has eroded the purchasing power of even senior professionals.
“During my years in service, paying rent was never this difficult. Today, many retirees and workers can no longer cope with the current housing market,” he said.
He stated that another major challenge in the housing sector is that many landlords now prefer renting their properties to internet fraudsters, popularly known as “Yahoo boys,” instead of families or responsible individuals.
According to him, these tenants often pay several years’ rent upfront sometimes four to five years at once and even renovate or upgrade the buildings beyond their original condition. As a result, many landlords now prioritise renting their properties to them over regular tenants.
Housing analysts say the collapse of Nigeria’s middle class is a major factor driving the crisis.
A private sector employee, Ajufo Francis, noted that many Nigerians who once lived comfortably in urban centres are now relocating to satellite towns and slums because they can no longer sustain the financial pressure associated with city living.
“The middle class is disappearing gradually,” he said. “You are either rich or poor. Businesses are struggling, salaries are no longer enough, and government policies have made survival more difficult.”
According to him, the migration from urban centres to poorer settlements is creating fresh pressure on already fragile communities.
“The poor are now being displaced by those who were previously middle class. Housing costs, food prices and transportation expenses are also rising in those areas. In the end, it is the very poor that suffer the most,” he added.
Property agents and informal developers have also been accused of fueling the sharp increase in rents.
Ali Bashir, a civil servant, alleged that some agents deliberately encourage landlords to inflate prices in order to increase their commissions.
“Agents are supposed to collect about five per cent commission, but when a self-contained apartment is rented for N300,000, their earnings are small. So they pressure landlords to increase the rent,” he explained.
Bashir said some agents also manipulate payment structures by demanding multiple years upfront.
“For example, instead of N300,000 yearly, they may push the rent to N1 million annually and insist on two years’ payment. Their commission then rises significantly,” he said.
He further identified informal property leasing arrangements as another contributor to rising rents. According to him, some individuals lease undeveloped spaces for long periods, build makeshift structures and impose high rents in order to recover their investments quickly.
Others, he said, lease old buildings, renovate them with modern fittings and reintroduce them into the market at significantly inflated prices.
“These practices are forcing many residents to relocate to the outskirts because they cannot afford accommodation within the cities anymore,” Bashir said.
He called on government to regulate rental pricing and establish benchmark rates for different categories of housing.
“It is alarming that a self-contained apartment now costs as much as N1.5 million in some areas, while a three-bedroom apartment can go for N5 million. Civil servants cannot survive under these conditions,” he said.
He warned that the worsening housing situation could push more people into corruption and unethical practices as they struggle to meet accommodation costs.
Landlords, however, insist that rising rents are largely driven by economic realities rather than greed.
A landlord, Sunny Otsa, said the soaring cost of building materials has made property development extremely expensive.
“Prices of building materials increase almost every week,” he said. “If it becomes more expensive to build or maintain houses, landlords will naturally adjust rents to reflect market realities.”
Otsa also pointed to location and rising demand as key factors.
“Houses in strategic locations will always attract higher rents. A house in Maitama cannot be the same price as one in Kubwa, even if they are of similar quality,” he explained.
He added that landlords often increase rents when demand is high because they know prospective tenants are willing to pay more.
Nigeria’s housing deficit, estimated at more than 15 million units, continues to compound the crisis. Experts say decades of weak urban planning, poor mortgage systems, rising inflation and inadequate investment in affordable housing have created an environment where demand consistently outpaces supply.
The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers,(NIESV) has repeatedly warned that rent control alone may not solve the problem. The body argues that unless government increases housing supply, reduces construction costs and improves infrastructure, rents will continue to rise.
The growing crisis has also attracted the attention of lawmakers. The House of Representatives recently described the rising cost of rent as exploitative and a national emergency. Lawmakers proposed a 20 per cent cap on annual rent increases and called on the Federal Government to introduce stronger tenancy regulations.
The House also urged the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to collaborate with state governments to develop affordable housing schemes and strengthen protection for tenants.
Lawmakers argued that the combination of economic hardship and arbitrary rent increases is pushing many Nigerians deeper into poverty and making decent shelter inaccessible.
Housing advocacy groups have equally raised alarm over the situation.
The Housing Development Advocacy Networkhas recently called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on housing, particularly in Abuja and Lagos, where rents have risen sharply in recent years.
Executive Director of HDAN, Festus Adebayo, described the housing crisis as a direct threat to national stability.
“Housing is no longer just expensive; it is becoming inaccessible,” he said. “When citizens cannot afford decent shelter, the effects are seen in health, productivity, security and urban stability.”
Adebayo blamed the crisis on rapid urban migration, rising construction costs, weak tenancy regulations, shortage of affordable housing and the growing dominance of short-let apartments.
He noted that Abuja’s rapidly growing population has continued to place enormous pressure on housing supply, while affordable housing projects have failed to keep pace with demand.
According to him, teachers, healthcare workers, civil servants, artisans and young professionals are among the hardest hit by the housing crisis.
He called on government to expand affordable housing programmes through public-private partnerships, strengthen mortgage and rent-to-own schemes and invest in satellite town development to reduce pressure on city centres.
As rents continue to rise, the consequences are becoming increasingly visible in Nigeria’s urban landscape. Informal settlements are expanding rapidly, sanitation conditions are worsening and more families are being pushed into overcrowded living spaces.
For millions of Nigerians, the struggle is no longer about owning a home. It is simply about finding a roof they can still afford.
