•Price of everything has gone up, why are they focusing on us alone —Landlords
FOR Omokayode Aliu, the experience of hunting for accommodation in Lagos over the past few months is fast making him reconsider his continued stay in the Mafoluku area of the state.
For him, the Centre of Excellence is rapidly becoming a city for the rich, the affluent and the privileged few. As far as he is concerned, the poor and middle-class residents have no place in the scheme of things, especially with rents ballooning at an alarming rate.
Since the beginning of the year, Aliu, a widower and father of four, has been struggling to secure accommodation within the Oshodi-Isolo axis where he currently resides. This, according to him, is not just about the scarcity of housing but also a senseless hike in yearly rent, even in the remotest parts of the city.
Coping with his limited means and raising four children has become a herculean task, especially with the persistent rise in petroleum product prices and food costs. He lamented that this situation drains his strength daily and leaves his future uncertain.
Besides the difficulties he faces in meeting his children’s basic needs, the two-room apartment he has occupied for nearly two decades is gradually slipping from his grasp, with no means or hope of securing a new place.
Despite increased development activities, Lagos, with a population of 23 million, still needs over three million residential units to meet housing demands.
He said, “It’s not been easy coping since the demise of my wife. I’ve been struggling to fend for my children and give them a decent life, but the events of recent months seem to threaten this dream.”
“I was ejected from my apartment due to my inability to keep up with the rent. The landlord keeps increasing it and I just couldn’t cope. After owing almost two years’ rent, I received a quit notice from the caretaker. Whether or not the caretaker was being truthful, all I know is I was asked to look for alternative accommodation.”
Since losing his job about six years ago, Aliu has been living hand-to-mouth, surviving on menial jobs.
Despite this, he managed to save N800,000 to secure a room-and-parlour self-contained unit before his quit notice expired.
“With my daily hustle and help from friends, I saved N800,000. But with current realities, that only gets me a room self-contained. In Agodo, Egbe-Idimu LCDA, where a room and parlour went for N250,000 last year, I was told it’s now N700,000, with N400,000 for agreement and commission, bringing the total to N1.1 million.”
“Due to pressure from the caretaker, I enrolled my children in boarding school to get them out of the house. During holidays, they go to our hometown to stay with family. This is the kind of life we live in Lagos. Securing an apartment now is like trying to enter the kingdom of God,” the 52-year-old job seeker said.
A broader crisis
Taofeek, a public bus driver, shares Aliu’s sentiments. His situation is equally dire and he did not hesitate to express his frustration. The amount he pays as rent, he said, far outweighs his annual income.
He told Saturday Tribune: “Accommodation rent and the attendant inflation are becoming unbearable. The government must urgently address the housing deficit. Lagosians are really suffering and paying through their noses to stay in the state.
“My landlord once woke up and decided to evict all tenants without any reasonable excuse. Now, with rising costs of essentials like data, airtime and accommodation, we’re overwhelmed. Sure, food prices are dropping slightly, but how does that balance against exorbitant rent that the government isn’t addressing?
“In my area, electricity is no longer stable. I spend a fortune on fuel as a commercial bus driver and also at home. This morning, I had to fuel the generator just to preserve food in the freezer. How long can we continue like this? Living in Lagos feels like hell.”
For Kunle Ajibade, another father of four, the unregulated rent hikes couldn’t have come at a worse time. He blamed successive Lagos administrations and called for immediate intervention.
He said, “The recent actions by landlords show a lack of sensitivity from those in power. It’s wickedness. If not for the low-cost housing built during the Jakande and Johnson administrations, what would we fall back on today?
“Jakande Estate was a saving grace. Successive governments have failed to replicate such initiatives, probably because many officials have vested interests in real estate. This may explain their reluctance to enforce rent regulations.
“I work in a law firm and earn N65,000 monthly. My rent was increased from N350,000 to N650,000 with the instruction to pay or vacate. With four kids, how do I survive? Transportation costs are already unbearable, and now rent?” he said.
Traders speak
Victor Chukwuogo, chairman of the Oyingbo Market Perishable Goods Traders Association, sees the situation as poorly timed. He believes the rent hikes are beginning to disrupt social and family cohesion.
Speaking to Saturday Tribune, Victor noted that traders now sell goods at giveaway prices to avoid losses due to spoilage.
“Traders in Oyingbo Market are hit hard by inflation. Most of our goods come from the North and East, and any hike in fuel prices raises transportation costs. We’re not even aiming for profit anymore, just to avoid total loss.
“Just yesterday, a trader told me he had bags of rice in stock for months without any buyers. This is not the time for landlords to increase rent. The hike has separated parents from children, including in my own family,” Chukwuogo said.
Monthly rent in the works, says government
In response to the widespread outcry, the Lagos State government announced plans to introduce monthly and quarterly rent payment options.
This initiative, revealed by the state Commissioner for Housing, Maruf Akinderu-Fatai, aims to ease financial burdens on residents, especially low-income earners.
Speaking during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing marking Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second year in office, Akinderu-Fatai stated, “This initiative reflects our commitment to making housing more affordable and accessible.
Monthly or quarterly payment options will ease the stress of sourcing lump sums. We’re working on landlord cooperation, payment tracking, and enforcement. It’s not just a policy on paper, we’re making real progress.”
‘We’re trying to survive too’, landlords defend themselves
Mr. Tolulope Akindolire, a landlord in Akinola, Aboru, Oke Odo LCDA, expressed the belief that rent hikes are unavoidable.
“Some of us rely on rent for survival. Transportation, school fees, electricity, fuel and building materials have all increased. Why are landlords being singled out?” he asked.
He opposed the monthly rent policy, arguing that it won’t work unless underlying causes are addressed.
“Previous housing policies didn’t yield the desired results because they weren’t well thought out. No one enjoys inflicting hardship on others; we are just trying to survive. Government must be sincere and proactive in addressing this issue,” he said.
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