Skyrocketing House Rents in South-East Nigeria Push Residents to Rural Areas

On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, residents across major South-East Nigerian cities—Abakaliki, Aba, Awka, Enugu, Onitsha, Owerri, and Umuahia—continued to grapple with astronomical rent increases, pushing low-income earners, including civil servants and small business owners, out of urban centers amid economic hardship. In Awka, Anambra, three-bedroom flat rents have risen from ₦250,000 to over ₦700,000 annually, with Mr. Augustine Okeke relocating to Nibo for a ₦300,000 flat, incurring ₦2,500 daily commuting costs. In Umuahia, Abia, two-bedroom flats now cost ₦400,000–₦700,000, driven by internet fraudsters (“Yahoo Boys”) paying high rents without negotiation, as per house agent Ms. Blessing. Enugu’s three-bedroom flats exceed ₦700,000, with agency fees adding ₦200,000–₦300,000, prompting the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to cap fees at 10%. In Owerri, Imo, Mr. Theophilus Nwaoga moved to a suburb after a 50% rent hike to ₦550,000, blaming greedy agents. Abakaliki’s three-bedroom flats range from ₦750,000 to ₦1.3 million, with the Ebonyi State House of Assembly considering regulatory legislation. Residents attribute the crisis to inflation, government neglect of housing, urban migration, and speculative landlord practices, urging state intervention to build affordable housing and regulate costs.