Rights Activist Seeks Emergency Action on Soaring House Rents

Human rights lawyer and activist, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on Nigeria’s housing and rental crisis.

In an open letter to the President, Adeyanju warned that rising accommodation costs and exploitative rental practices are driving millions of Nigerians deeper into poverty and exposing many to homelessness.
He described the housing sector as a predatory market, citing excessive rent charges, high agency fees, and the widespread practice of demanding multiple years’ rent in advance as major burdens on tenants.
Adeyanju stressed that providing access to decent shelter is a fundamental responsibility of government. He urged the Tinubu administration to implement reforms that would protect citizens from rental exploitation, including the establishment of a Presidential Taskforce on Rental Reform, statutory limits on rental charges, stronger regulations for landlords and estate agents, and increased investment in affordable housing through public-private partnerships to make decent accommodation accessible to low- and middle-income Nigerians.