By Lizzy Chirkpi
Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on Nigeria’s deepening housing and rental crisis, warning that soaring rents and exploitative tenancy practices are pushing millions of Nigerians deeper into poverty.
In an open letter addressed to the President on Monday, Adeyanju described the housing situation, particularly in Abuja and Lagos, as a “silent, agonizing erosion of human dignity” and urged the Federal Government to take urgent constitutional and policy measures to protect tenants and expand access to affordable housing.
He argued that access to decent shelter is not a privilege but a constitutional obligation of government, citing Sections 14 and 16 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights law.
“Shelter is not a luxury product reserved for the highest bidder; it is a fundamental human right, an indispensable cornerstone of human existence, and a core, undeniable responsibility of government,” Adeyanju said.
The activist decried what he described as the unchecked exploitation of tenants by landlords, estate agents, and property speculators through excessive rent demands, agency fees, legal charges, service charges, and caution fees.
According to him, ordinary Nigerians are increasingly being priced out of the housing market.
“Middle-income earners, civil servants, young professionals, and vulnerable families are routinely extorted by opportunistic landlords, real estate speculators, and unregulated estate agents,” he stated.
Adeyanju also cautioned that ongoing urban renewal initiatives would fail if they displaced the very people who sustain Nigeria’s cities.
“When urban renewal simply translates to gentrification, mass evictions, and pricing out the essential workforce, it ceases to be development—it becomes social violence,” he said.
As part of his recommendations, Adeyanju urged President Tinubu to establish a Presidential Task Force on Rental Reform with a 90-day mandate to develop a comprehensive National Housing and Tenancy Policy and, where necessary, prepare an Executive Bill on tenancy reform for transmission to the National Assembly.
He also proposed sweeping reforms to regulate the rental market, including a legal cap of 7.5 per cent on combined agency and legal fees, a maximum service charge of five per cent of annual rent, a one-year limit on advance rent payments, and a ban on non-refundable caution fees.
In addition, he called for the creation of a digital reporting platform through which tenants can report erring landlords and estate agents, backed by stringent sanctions for violations.
The human rights lawyer further urged the Federal Government to expand low-cost public housing through public-private partnerships, tax incentives, and targeted investments aimed at increasing affordable housing for low- and middle-income earners.
“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 said.
He added:
“Securing shelter for our citizens is not an act of charity; it is a constitutional command and a fundamental human right.”
Adeyanju’s intervention comes amid growing concerns over the rising cost of accommodation in major Nigerian cities, where rents have climbed sharply in recent years, placing increasing financial pressure on households already grappling with inflation and a high cost of living.
Housing advocates have repeatedly called for stronger regulation of Nigeria’s rental market, arguing that the absence of a uniform national tenancy framework has left many tenants vulnerable to arbitrary charges and exploitative practices.