Education

Students, Agents Speak Amid Soaring Housing Challeges In Abraka

By Favour Odiete

Across the streets of Abraka, finding affordable student housing is increasingly getting out of reach, as rising rent prices place financial strain on students, parents, and guardians, sparking concerns about exploitation and the affordability of off-campus living.

Over the past years, rent in many parts of Abraka especially areas like Ivie Road, Benbo, Police Station Road, Igbo Quarters, Ekrejeta, and some parts of Lucas, has more than doubled.

Our recent survey revealed that once-affordable student hostels now range from N300,000 N450,000 naira per year, depending on the location.

Some agents and landlords interviewed on the issue blamed the increase on growing economic inflation and the cost of maintenance of a hostel, but students feel landlords are simply taking advantage of the desperate demand, especially during a new session when fresh intakes arrive on campus.

Glorious Ogheneochukome, a 400-level student of the Department of Pharmacology, could not hold back her frustration with the ever-rising rent prices when Our Reporter sought her opinion.

“When I was in 200-level, a good bedsitter was about N180,000; it later rose to N250,000 in 300-level, and then after I returned from my IT, prices were already at N300,000 and above.”

She observed that “Landlords are intentionally increasing rent and making it unaffordable for struggling students”.

“Not everyone comes from a rich background”, said Ogheneochukome.

On his part, Onorode Divine-Favour, another 400-level student from the Department of Pharmacology, shared similar frustration.

“When I renewed my rent, it was N300,000 for two persons, but now it’s N400,000.

“The only reason the landlord gave was to change the bathroom doors. Even with the increase in price, we still have water issues.”

Quizzed on the issue, Mr. Efeakpokrire Reliance, a property agent in Abraka, averred that the issue goes beyond greed.

First, we have to look at inflation and how it has made maintenance more expensive than it used to be when it comes to rental properties, especially in student housing”, he said.

“The country also has a general inflation rate, which affects the cost of living and materials for building and maintaining houses, which forces landlords to increase student housing rents.

“Let’s say a workman comes to fix something at the hostel; maybe the cost for repairs used to be N5,000, but because of the increase in the price of needed materials, he would have to increase it to N10,000.

“The landlord has to find a way to add these costs to the rent because he is not running a charity organisation, he is running a business.”

Nevertheless, Reliance criticised landlords who raise rents but fail to maintain their hostels.

“It is bad for business and will definitely lead to an end unless demand is very high, and even at that, there’s a time limit to what students can bear.”

Sarah Joseph, a 300-level Economics student, explained that demand and supply imbalances are the key drivers of rising prices.

“Abraka does not have enough supply to meet student housing demand. That only gives landlords room to inflate their prices because people will pay when they don’t find anything cheaper”, explained Joseph.

She warned that unless the community and student bodies step in to regulate prices, rent prices will continue to skyrocket.

“Rent should ideally be in the range of N250,000 N300,000, but until something changes structurally, prices will definitely see an upward curve.”