As Nigeria’s economic challenges continue to bite, many residents of Kogi State are struggling under the weight of soaring house rents, with accommodation increasingly becoming unaffordable for low- and middle-income earners.
In this special report, AIT Correspondent Terhemba Akayah examines the growing housing crisis and why residents are calling on the Kogi State House of Assembly to fast-track the passage of the proposed tenancy law aimed at protecting both landlords and tenants.
With an estimated population of about 4.5 million, Kogi State is largely dependent on the civil service, with limited industrial development to create employment opportunities and improve household incomes.
Although previous administrations initiated housing projects to address the state’s growing accommodation needs, residents say those efforts have not kept pace with rapid population growth, leaving a widening housing deficit.
The shortage of affordable housing has placed many residents at the mercy of landlords and property agents, who continue to increase rents with little or no regulation.
Today, a modest one-bedroom apartment in Lokoja can cost between six hundred thousand and seven hundred thousand naira annually, while rents for two- and three-bedroom apartments have risen sharply, depending on the location.
For many families already grappling with rising food prices, school fees and other living expenses, securing decent accommodation has become an uphill task.
Residents also allege that some landlords and agents now allocate houses to the highest bidders, with concerns that individuals involved in illegal activities are often preferred over honest tenants because they can pay significantly higher rents.
Many argue that the situation is worsening homelessness and forcing several families into substandard accommodation.
Stakeholders believe expanding government-backed affordable housing schemes, similar to those introduced by previous administrations, would ease pressure on the private rental market and make decent accommodation accessible to ordinary citizens.
They also describe the recent public hearing on the proposed Kogi State Tenancy Bill as a step in the right direction, but insist that lawmakers must move beyond consultations to ensure its speedy passage and implementation.
For thousands of residents, the hope is that increased investment in affordable housing and the swift enactment of the tenancy bill will restore fairness to the rental market and provide much-needed relief from the growing burden of accommodation costs.
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(Editor: Roluke Ogundele)
