The National Union of Tenants of Nigeria (NUTN) has appealed to Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to urgently intervene in the worsening housing crisis affecting residents of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas.

The appeal was contained in a letter signed by the union’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Ceaser Enwefah, and addressed to the governor in Port Harcourt.

According to the union, the housing situation in the two local government areas has deteriorated into a full-scale crisis, impacting more than 1.5 million residents and placing significant financial strain on families.

Rising Rents Deepen Housing Affordability Challenges

Enwefah stated that approximately 80 per cent of residents, including civil servants, company employees, self-employed individuals and retirees, now spend a substantial portion of their income on rent.

He noted that civil servants earning the national minimum wage of ₦70,000 per month, equivalent to ₦840,000 annually, are paying as much as ₦900,000 per year for self-contained apartments.

According to him, rental prices across the state have increased sharply in recent years.

“Rents for double-room apartments have risen from ₦120,000 to ₦520,000 annually, while one-bedroom flats that previously rented for ₦300,000 now cost as much as ₦1.5 million per year,” he said.

Housing Deficit Blamed for Soaring Rent

The union attributed the situation to an acute housing deficit allegedly worsened by the indiscriminate approval of building plan amendments and the conversion of residential properties into commercial facilities.

Enwefah also alleged that some landlords and unregistered house agents were exploiting the shortage by imposing excessive rent increases on tenants.

He warned that the trend has significantly reduced housing affordability and placed many households under severe economic pressure.

NUTN Calls for Immediate Government Intervention

To address the crisis, the union called on the Rivers State Government to suspend further conversion of residential buildings to non-residential uses within the affected areas.

The organisation also urged Governor Fubara to consider placing a temporary halt on rent increases pending the introduction of new housing policy measures.

“We urge Governor Fubara to suspend rent increases pending the introduction of new policy directives,” Enwefah stated.

The union further advocated the appointment of a substantive or supervisory commissioner to oversee the Ministry of Housing and coordinate efforts aimed at addressing the housing challenges facing residents.

According to Enwefah, previous efforts to draw the attention of relevant authorities to the issue through the ministry had not produced meaningful results.

Affordable Housing Key to Economic Stability

The NUTN executive secretary stressed that access to affordable housing remains a fundamental component of social and economic development.

He referenced the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy contained in Nigeria’s Constitution, which emphasise the importance of decent living conditions for citizens.

Enwefah also cited international housing standards, noting that housing costs should remain affordable and proportionate to residents’ incomes.

He warned that failure to address the housing crisis could worsen poverty levels, increase financial hardship and trigger social unrest.

“Nigerians are sacrificing virtually all their earnings to pay rent, leaving many families in severe economic hardship,” he said.

The union called on the Rivers State Government to adopt its recommendations as part of a broader strategy to improve housing affordability, increase housing supply and protect tenants from excessive rent burdens.

Stakeholders have continued to express concern over rising rental costs across major Nigerian cities, with housing affordability emerging as one of the most pressing urban development challenges facing millions of residents.

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More than 80 per cent of residents in Rivers State now spend over 100 per cent of their income on house rent, signalling a worsening housing crisis.

The disclosure was made by the Executive Secretary of the National Union of Tenants of Nigeria (NUTN), Ceaser Enwefah, in a letter addressed to Governor Siminalayi Fubara on May 4.

Rent Surge Deepens Hardship

According to the union, rent increases between 2023 and 2025 have been particularly severe in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor.

Enwefah warned that the rising cost of housing is pushing many residents into extreme hardship, making it difficult to meet basic needs.

“Rental costs now account for a significant portion of the high cost of living in the capital city,” he said.

He cautioned that the situation could escalate into widespread homelessness, slum expansion, and social tension by 2030 if not addressed.

Calls for Government Intervention

The union urged the state government to prioritise the housing sector and introduce regulatory measures to curb excesses.

Recommendations include stricter oversight of estate agents, enforcement against illegal property conversions, and the creation of a housing data system to monitor rent trends.

Other proposals include increased land allocation for low-income housing and the construction of student hostels to ease accommodation pressure.

Sharp Rise in Rental Prices

Data from the union shows a steep increase in rental costs across housing categories:

• Self-contained apartments: about N800,000 annually
• One-bedroom flats: around N1.5 million
• Two-bedroom apartments: N2 million to N2.5 million
• Three-bedroom flats: N3 million to N4 million

The report also noted that a single room rose from N60,000 in 2022 to N180,000 in 2026, while self-contained units jumped from N150,000 to N800,000 within the same period.

Enwefah warned that rents could rise further by December 2026, forcing more residents to leave the city.

Drivers of the Housing Crisis

The surge in rent has been linked to multiple factors, including housing shortages, demolition of buildings for infrastructure projects such as the Port Harcourt Ring Road, activities of unregulated agents, and the conversion of residential buildings for commercial use.

Nationwide Trend

The situation reflects a broader trend across Nigeria, particularly in Lagos, where residents also face rising rent costs.

Across major urban centres, increasing housing demand, inflation, and limited supply continue to put pressure on affordability, raising concerns about urban living standards and long-term economic stability.

The post Housing Crisis: Rivers Residents Spend Over 100% of Income on Rent appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

Nigeria has emerged as one of Africa’s most expensive rental markets, with Lagos ranking fourth as rising housing costs continue to place significant financial pressure on urban residents.

A report titled “Average Rent of Two-Bedroom Apartments Across Africa’s Major Cities” highlights the trend, showing Lagos among the continent’s costliest locations for residential accommodation.

The ranking places Lagos behind Abidjan, Cape Town, and Accra, which occupy the top three positions, reflecting growing housing demand and limited supply across Africa’s leading cities.

Other cities in the top ten include Douala, Nairobi, Kigali, Dar es Salaam, Cairo, and Casablanca, underscoring a continent-wide rise in rental costs across major urban centres.

According to the report by Fortren & Company, a luxury two-bedroom apartment in Lagos prime areas averages $19,379 annually, equivalent to about N26.8 million.

High-end neighbourhoods such as Ikoyi, Banana Island, and Victoria Island continue to attract premium rents, driven by limited land availability and sustained demand from affluent and expatriate tenants.

Despite ranking fourth, Lagos faces a worsening rental crisis, with analysts describing the current situation as a rental boom marked by steep price increases and declining affordability.

Real estate expert Chudi Ubosi revealed that rents have surged between 50 and 200 percent in the last 24 months, pushing the income-to-rent ratio to nearly 70 percent.

This figure significantly exceeds the United Nations’ recommended 30 percent affordability benchmark, indicating severe pressure on household incomes across Nigeria’s urban housing market.

Analysts say the crisis presents opportunities for investors, particularly in build-to-let housing targeting smaller units such as one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in high-demand areas.

The surge in rental demand is largely driven by affordability challenges in the property sales market, where inflation, high borrowing costs, and expensive building materials limit homeownership access.

As more Nigerians turn to renting, demand continues to outpace supply, allowing landlords to increase rents beyond sustainable levels for many households.

Across major cities, rising rental costs are forcing residents to relocate from urban centres to outskirts, where housing remains relatively cheaper despite increasing demand pressures.

In some suburban areas, two-bedroom apartments now attract annual rents between N1.5 million and N2.5 million, reflecting the spillover effect of urban housing demand.

The report attributes Lagos’ high rental costs to limited land supply, high demand in prime locations, rising construction costs, speculation, and the impact of currency depreciation.

It also notes that many luxury properties are dollar-denominated, concentrating the high-end market within a narrow socioeconomic segment and sustaining elevated rental prices.

Martin Uche, Research Director at Fortren & Company, said some ultra-luxury apartments in Ikoyi command rents as high as $130,000 annually.

He explained that project-specific comparisons may distort averages, as premium developments significantly influence overall pricing trends within the high-end residential segment.

The report highlights similar trends in other African cities, noting that Cape Town has experienced significant rental increases driven by migration and demand for short-term accommodation.

Rents in Cape Town have risen by over 68 percent since 2014, partly due to reduced availability of long-term housing and a shift toward tourism-focused rental markets.

In Accra, rising rents are driven by demand from multinational firms, diplomats, and expatriates competing for limited premium housing supply in key residential districts.

Ghana’s economic growth has increased Accra’s appeal, while dollar-denominated housing allowances continue to push rental prices higher in the luxury segment of the market.

The report also identifies structural issues within Africa’s rental system, including the widespread requirement for advance rent payments, which increases financial pressure on tenants.

In Nigeria and several other African countries, landlords often demand one to two years’ rent upfront, reflecting supply shortages and limited access to credit systems.

Uche explained that low trust levels in rental markets make landlords risk-averse, encouraging advance payments as a way to secure income and reduce financial uncertainty.

He added that Africa’s rental market remains among the most rigid globally, with at least three months’ advance payment required in about half of rental transactions.

These structural challenges, combined with supply shortages, continue to drive rental inflation, widening the gap between income levels and housing affordability across urban areas.

Experts warn that without targeted policy interventions and increased housing supply, Nigeria’s rental crisis will deepen, placing more pressure on already strained household incomes.

The post Lagos Rent Hits N26.8m Yearly, Ranks Fourth in Africa — Report appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

Nigeria’s housing affordability challenge is worsening as rising rents across major cities force many workers to spend a large share of their income on accommodation.

Recent reports show that tenants in cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt now spend more than 60 percent of their earnings on rent, significantly higher than the 30 percent affordability benchmark recommended by the United Nations.

The rent-to-income ratio is a key measure used to determine housing affordability. It calculates the percentage of a person’s monthly income spent on rent. Housing experts say the ratio in Nigeria has climbed sharply in recent years due to increasing accommodation costs and economic pressures on households.

Over the past two years, rents in several Nigerian cities have reportedly increased by more than 100 percent, putting additional strain on tenants and making home ownership more difficult for many Nigerians.

Many residents have also reported sudden rent increases by landlords. A Lagos-based professional, Oluwasegun Olamilekan, explained that the annual rent for his two-bedroom apartment outside the city centre recently increased from ₦450,000 to ₦850,000.

He said similar apartments in his neighbourhood are now rented to new tenants for up to ₦1.2 million per year, excluding additional charges such as agency, agreement and caution fees. When these extra costs are added, tenants may end up paying between ₦1.5 million and ₦2 million to secure accommodation.

Industry experts say the housing affordability threshold in Nigeria has been severely strained. Speaking at a real estate forum in Lagos, Olajumoke Akinwunmi, co-founder of Alitheia Capital and chairman of Purple Group, noted that some Nigerians now spend as much as 70 percent of their income on housing.

She said the current situation has made it increasingly difficult for aspiring homeowners to buy property, as rising costs have significantly increased the financial requirements for home ownership.

Experts also attribute the surge in housing costs to rising construction expenses. Although data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows inflation has slowed in recent months, prices of building materials continue to increase.

For instance, the cost of a 50kg bag of cement has risen from about ₦7,500 in late 2025 to between ₦11,500 and ₦15,000 in many parts of the country.

According to Timothy Nubi, professor and founding director of the Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development at the University of Lagos, other building materials such as steel and sand have also experienced significant price increases, further pushing up development costs and rental prices.

Analysts say the housing market is currently under pressure as both tenants and developers struggle with economic uncertainty. While renters face increasing accommodation costs, developers are also dealing with fluctuating building material prices, making it difficult to determine realistic property prices.

Experts warn that without stronger housing policies and increased supply of affordable homes, the housing affordability crisis in Nigeria may continue to worsen.

The post Nigeria’s Housing Crisis Deepens as Rent Consumes Majority of Workers’ Income appeared first on Housing TV Africa.