Human rights lawyer and activist, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately declare a State of Emergency on Nigeria’s housing and rental sector, warning that the country’s worsening housing crisis is pushing millions of citizens deeper into poverty.
In an open letter addressed to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Adeyanju argued that the housing situation, particularly in Abuja and Lagos, has reached the level of a constitutional and human rights emergency that requires urgent government intervention.
He maintained that ordinary Nigerians, including civil servants, artisans, young professionals, remote workers, middle-income earners and vulnerable families, are finding it increasingly difficult to secure decent accommodation because of rising rents, excessive agency fees, arbitrary service charges and what he described as exploitative practices by landlords and estate agents.
“From the sprawling suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to the overcrowded residential districts of Lagos State, millions of hardworking Nigerians are being crushed under the weight of an unbridled, hyper-inflationary, and predatory housing market.”
Referencing renowned South African jurist and anti-apartheid activist Albie Sachs, Adeyanju reminded the President that, “A house is more than just a shelter; it is a space where human dignity takes root.”
“Today, Mr. President, that dignity is under systemic siege in Nigeria,” he said.
Adeyanju pointed to Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), noting that it clearly states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”
He also referred to Sections 16(1)(b) and 16(2)(d), which require the government to provide suitable and adequate shelter for citizens while preventing the concentration of wealth in the hands of a privileged few.
“When shelter becomes an instrument of extortion, the government abdicates its primary purpose,” he stated.
The activist further cited Article 11(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), of which Nigeria is a signatory, noting that adequate housing is internationally recognised as a fundamental part of the right to an adequate standard of living.
He also referenced the consistent position of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, which emphasises that housing should be treated as “a social good, not a speculative financial asset.”
Describing the housing situation in Abuja and Lagos, Adeyanju alleged that the rental market has become lawless, with landlords and agents taking advantage of desperate tenants through multiple arbitrary charges.
He said many tenants are compelled to pay between two and three years’ rent upfront, alongside several additional fees.
According to him, tenants are regularly required to pay agency fees exceeding 10 to 20 percent simply for being introduced to available properties.
“So-called legal fees of up to 15 percent, despite the documents often being generic templates allegedly not prepared by qualified lawyers.
“Unregulated service charges that, in many cases, exceed the annual rent itself without transparent accounting.
“Arbitrary caution fees that are rarely refunded after tenancy expires.
“Opportunistic agents routinely force tenants to pay up to 15% in ‘legal fees’ for generic forms that no enrolled lawyer ever touched,” Adeyanju stated.
“By bypassing qualified legal practitioners and downloading template forms, they exploit citizens for professional work that was never actually performed.”
“There can be no genuine urban development or urban renewal without a master plan that explicitly caters to the everyday people who power our national economy,” he wrote.
He added that any effective housing policy must ensure Nigerians are able to live and work with dignity within reasonable proximity to their places of livelihood.
Adeyanju cited Ghana’s Rent Act, which places legal limits on advance rent payments and is enforced through the country’s Rent Control Department.
He also noted that many developed and developing democracies regulate their housing sectors through rent caps, statutory limits on fees and tenant protection measures.
“Nigeria cannot remain an outlier in housing governance,” he stated.
The activist called on President Tinubu to use his constitutional powers to introduce six major reforms.
He urged the Federal Government to formally declare a State of Emergency on Housing and Urban Tenancy to address both Nigeria’s housing shortage and what he described as an exploitative rental system.
He also proposed the creation of a Special Presidential Taskforce on Rental Reform, to be headed by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, with a 90-day mandate to prepare a comprehensive National Housing and Tenancy Policy and forward an Executive Bill on fair rent standards to the National Assembly where necessary.
“Restricting service charges to a maximum of 5 percent of annual rent, with full transparency and auditing.
“Limiting advance rent payments to one year, with a gradual transition toward monthly rental arrangements.
“Criminalising the collection of unrecoverable caution fees unless supported by audited evidence of actual property damage.”
Adeyanju further urged the Federal Government to establish a Digital Tenant Reporting Platform, supported by an independent ombudsman and a rapid-response desk, to enable tenants report exploitative landlords and estate agents.
He also called for strict civil penalties, criminal sanctions and professional disqualification for landlords and agents found guilty of violating tenancy regulations.
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The activist urged the Tinubu administration to expand low-cost public housing through increased government investment, tax incentives and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), insisting that affordable housing should reflect Nigeria’s minimum wage and current economic realities.
He reminded the President that the true measure of his administration would not rest solely on economic indicators but on how well it protects the dignity of ordinary Nigerians during difficult economic times.
“History will judge this administration not only by its macroeconomic indicators, but by how basic human dignity was safeguarded during times of deep economic transition,” he wrote.
“Securing shelter for our citizens is not an act of charity; it is a constitutional command and a fundamental human right.”
He added that Nigerians struggling with rising rental costs in Abuja, Lagos and other parts of the country are looking to the President for “immediate, uncompromising relief.”
