By Toyin Hakeem, Abuja
Human rights lawyer and activist, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on Nigeria’s worsening housing and rental crisis, warning that millions of Nigerians are being forced into poverty by soaring rents and what he described as unchecked exploitation by landlords and estate agents.
In an open letter addressed to the President, Adeyanju said the housing situation, particularly in Abuja, Lagos and other major cities, has reached a breaking point, with tenants subjected to excessive agency fees, arbitrary legal charges, inflated service fees and demands for up to three years’ rent in advance. He argued that access to decent and affordable housing is a constitutional obligation of government and not a privilege reserved for the wealthy.
The legal practitioner cited Sections 14 and 16 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which place the welfare of citizens and the provision of adequate shelter among the primary responsibilities of government. He also referenced Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights law, insisting that housing must be treated as a social good rather than a speculative investment driven by profit.
Adeyanju warned that ongoing urban renewal initiatives risk worsening the crisis if they fail to accommodate low- and middle-income earners. According to him, artisans, civil servants, young professionals, remote workers and other everyday Nigerians should not be displaced in the name of development, stressing that any meaningful urban renewal policy must be inclusive and protect vulnerable residents from economic exclusion.
To reverse the trend, he urged President Tinubu to establish a Presidential Task Force on Rental Reform with a 90-day mandate to produce a National Housing and Tenancy Policy. He also proposed a legal cap of 7.5 per cent on combined agency and legal fees, a five per cent ceiling on service charges, a maximum of one year’s rent payable in advance, and an outright ban on non-refundable caution fees. He further called for a digital platform where tenants can report landlords and agents who violate the law.
The activist also advocated increased investment in affordable housing through Public-Private Partnerships, tax incentives for developers and stricter regulation of the rental market. He maintained that without decisive intervention, Nigeria’s housing crisis would continue to fuel poverty, corruption, homelessness and deepen social inequality across the country.
Adeyanju said the Tinubu administration now has an opportunity to deliver lasting reforms that will restore hope to millions of struggling Nigerians. He stressed that affordable housing is a constitutional right, not a favour, urging the President to act swiftly before the country’s housing crisis spirals further out of control.