By Adenike Lawal
Nigeria’s House of Representatives has urged the federal government and state authorities to limit rent increases nationwide to a maximum of 20 percent.
The resolution followed a motion by Cross River lawmaker Bassey Akiba, who highlighted that tenants are being financially strained as landlords sharply raise rents, often after infrastructure projects like roads or markets are completed.
Some FCT neighborhoods, he noted, saw rents surge from ₦800,000 to ₦2.5 million annually.
Akiba described the trend as “wanton exploitation” that threatens social stability and called for a balance between landlords’ rights and tenant welfare.
The House also directed the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to implement the rent cap and tasked the House Committee on Housing and Habitat to monitor compliance and report within four weeks.
Lawmakers stressed that affordable housing investments are crucial to easing the rental burden and addressing Nigeria’s growing housing deficit.
