By Olokuta Rofiat
Soaring rents in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, are forcing residents to relocate to neighbouring states as landlords increase prices amid rising inflation and housing shortages.
In districts such as Maitama, Asokoro, and Gwarimpa, one-bedroom apartments now cost up to ₦3 million annually, excluding agency and caution fees. Many tenants, unable to cope, are moving to suburbs like Mararaba in Nasarawa State and Suleja in Niger State, despite the longer daily commute.
Several residents told ACJ that the cost of living within Abuja has become unbearable. “I pay ₦700,000 for a one-bedroom in Mararaba now, but that’s still better than what I was paying in the city,” one tenant said.
Landlords attribute the rent hikes to inflation, the high cost of building materials, and increased taxes and maintenance expenses. Housing experts, however, warn that the absence of rent control laws in the Federal Capital Territory has left tenants vulnerable to exploitation.
They urged the government to intervene through affordable housing schemes and stronger tenancy regulation. Analysts also caution that the trend could push more low- and middle-income earners into overcrowded areas, worsening poverty and reducing productivity due to longer commutes.
For many residents, the rent crisis in Abuja is no longer about choice — it’s about survival.
