Adeyanju urges Tinubu to declare emergency on housing crisis

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 pushed into poverty and homelessness by exploitative rent practices and the soaring cost of accommodation.

In an open letter addressed to the President, Adeyanju said the country’s housing sector had descended into what he described as a “predatory” market where landlords, estate agents and speculators impose excessive financial burdens on tenants without adequate government regulation.

According to him, the housing crisis has become a major threat to the dignity, welfare and economic survival of ordinary Nigerians, particularly in major cities such as Abuja and Lagos, where civil servants, artisans, young professionals, remote workers and low-income families are increasingly unable to afford decent accommodation.

The legal practitioner argued that access to shelter is a constitutional responsibility of government rather than a privilege, citing Sections 14 and 16 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which place the security and welfare of citizens at the heart of governance and require the State to provide suitable and adequate shelter for Nigerians.

He also referenced Article 11(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), stressing that Nigeria has an international obligation to recognize and protect the right to adequate housing.

Adeyanju lamented what he described as widespread exploitation in the rental market, where tenants are often compelled to pay two or three years’ rent in advance, alongside what he termed arbitrary agency fees, questionable legal fees, excessive service charges and non-refundable caution fees.

He further criticized the practice whereby estate agents allegedly collect legal fees for tenancy agreements prepared from generic templates without the involvement of qualified legal practitioners, describing the development as exploitative and unethical.

The activist warned that the rising cost of housing was forcing many Nigerians into substandard living conditions while encouraging corruption, as workers struggle to meet mounting accommodation expenses.

He maintained that urban renewal projects must not become instruments for displacing low- and middle-income earners, insisting that genuine development should prioritize inclusive planning that accommodates artisans, civil servants, remote workers, job seekers and other essential contributors to the nation’s economy.

Drawing comparisons with international best practices, Adeyanju noted that countries such as Ghana have introduced legal restrictions on advance rent payments and established regulatory institutions to protect tenants from abuse. He urged Nigeria to adopt similar reforms to promote fairness and social stability.

As part of his recommendations, Adeyanju called on President Tinubu to immediately declare a State of Emergency on Housing and Urban Tenancy, establish a Special Presidential Taskforce on Rental Reform with a 90-day mandate to produce a comprehensive National Housing and Tenancy Policy, and forward an Executive Bill on fair rent standards to the National Assembly where necessary.

He also proposed statutory limits on rental-related charges, including capping combined agency and legal fees at 7.5 percent of annual rent, limiting service charges to five percent of annual rent, restricting advance rent payments to a maximum of one year with a gradual transition to monthly rent, and outlawing non-refundable caution fees.

In addition, he urged the Federal Government to establish a digital tenant reporting platform supported by an independent ombudsman to receive complaints against erring landlords and estate agents, while prescribing stiff civil and criminal penalties for violations.

Adeyanju further called for expanded investment in affordable public housing through public-private partnerships and targeted incentives to ensure that housing remains accessible to low- and middle-income Nigerians.

He concluded that history would judge the Tinubu administration by how effectively it protects the dignity and welfare of citizens during difficult economic times, stressing that access to shelter is a constitutional obligation and a fundamental human right that should not be left entirely to market forces.

“The citizens of Nigeria, particularly those suffering under severe rental pressure across Abuja, Lagos and other urban centres, look to your leadership for immediate and uncompromising relief,” Adeyanju stated.