Anambra residents seek Soludo’s intervention over soaring rent

There is growing concerns over the continuous increase in house rents in major cities and towns across Anambra State, with modest two-bedroom apartments averaging N1.5m annually, far above rates of N250,000 annually just a few years ago.

The surging rents have created deepening and affordability crisis and squeezing thousands of households, across the state.

South-East PUNCH findings showed that the steady increase in rents highlights the deepening shelter crisis confronting thousands of residents in Anambra State.

From major urban centres of Awka to Onitsha and Nnewi to Ekwulobia, as well as other semi-urban centres such as Awada, Okpuno, Ifite, including urban-slum centres such as Okpoko, Mpkikpa and other semi-rural and rural areas, tenants are feeling the squeeze of rapidly escalating rents, despite the locations and proximities.

For instance, a newly-completed two-bedroom flat in highbrow areas like Awka and Onitsha, which went for N500,000 per annum in 2024 now goes for averagely N1.5 million while an old building which was N250,000 per annum in 2024, now goes for averagely over N850,000 per annum as of March 2026.

Findings by South-East Punch between Sunday and Monday showed that while these figures serve as average bench mark, the reality is that rents vary wildly across cities and neighbourhoods, according to data gathered from industry players such as estate managers, agents and tenants in various locations.

Speaking to our correspondent on Monday, a house agent operating along Zik’s Avenue, Awka, Humphrey Uzor, said, “A two-bedroom apartment appears to be expensive in the rental market because of the high demand. While a single-bedroom apartment is typically viewed as temporary or less-fancied, three- and four-bedroom units are often priced far beyond the reach of average tenants.

“The annual rent of two-bedroom newly-built houses averagely ranges from N1.5 million depending on the location as of March 2026; one could get a decent one for N500,000.

“The focus on two-bedroom apartments is deliberate because this category of housing is often considered the ‘middle ground’ for families, young professionals, and middle-income earners and it is in high demand.”

Some residents and tenants, who spoke to South-East Punch, said the soaring rent has forced many families to relocate to the hinterlands to seek cheaper housing alternatives while some said their rent journey reflected the city’s transformation.

A resident in Onitsha, Godwin Ike, said, “In 2022, two-bedroom flats cost between N300,000 and N500,000 depending if it’s old or new structure. I rented mine for N350,000. Today, average rents are N800,000 to N1.5m. Landlords are even introducing service charges and what they called, “ego oji”, with their lawyers and agents also introducing their own charges.

“The increase and new charges they introduced, something unheard of in the past, now stifle tenants and if no drastic measure is taken by relevant authorities, thousands of people, especially low-income earners, might face shelter crisis.”

Narrating her ordeal, another resident living in Okpoko, Chisom Uche, said, “We are about 20 people in a house and two people vacated their apartment. The landlord raised the rents on the apartment to over 200 per cent because of high demand for the two vacated apartments.

“Notwithstanding that Okpoko is a slum area, landlords and house agents still stifle tenants with high rents annually. I moved into the area in 2023 with N180,000 for a self-contained apartment, but today, it is going for over N450,000 depending on the availability of some amenities.

“The landlords increased rents annually, and they always skyrocket as soon as the state government rehabilitated some major roads and infrastructure in the area. The landlords in Okpoko are copying other cities models with arbitrary rent hikes and extra service charges, not minding that it’s still a slum.”

One tenant along the Onitsha-Awka Old Road, said his rent jumped from N600,000 to N1.2m in a single review, adding, “Such steep hikes, often without justification, reflect the cutthroat competition for housing in the state.

“I know of some men who are workers in the civil service that relocated their families back to the village, and still rented one room apartment in the city so that they could be going to work.

“The state government, under the leadership of Governor Soludo, is trying in other areas, but it should beam it’s searchlight in the housing sector. The state can build small housing units for low-income earners.”

Also speaking, a builder, Chief Angus Ozoemenam, noted that the steady rise in rental prices across the state is driven by a complex mix of economic and structural factors.

He said, “One of the most pressing issues is the increasing cost of land. As urban centres expand and demand for prime locations intensifies, the value of land continues to soar. Land scarcity in major cities has further heightened competition, making property acquisition an expensive venture.

“This, in turn, pushes landlords and developers to pass on these costs to tenants in the form of higher rent, making housing less affordable for the average citizen.

“Beyond land costs, the relentless surge in building material prices plays a significant role. Materials such as cement, steel, roofing sheets, and finishing products are experiencing constant price hikes, largely influenced by inflation, import dependence, and supply chain disruptions. These rising costs not only impact new construction projects, but also existing buildings.

“Landlords are compelled to adjust rents upward to cover maintenance expenses, since even routine repairs now require expensive materials. Consequently, tenants are bearing the brunt of these inflationary pressures.

“Housing challenge is not a problem the state government alone can tackle, both federal and state governments must collaborate in this regard through mortgage and provision of housing units for low-income earners.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Landlords/Tenants Association, Onitsha Branch, Gilbert Igwe, noted that the reason for the rent hike was that demand is higher than supply, so prices must go up.

“There must be a deliberate effort by governments at all levels in Nigeria to increase the housing stock for the benefit of medium- and low-income earners. The housing deficit affects the medium- and low-income earners, and these days, because of the economic hardship, many high-income earners are leaving big properties to compete for two- and three-bedroom units.

“Also, there are no rent control laws to regulate rents charged by landlords; this is where the federal, state and local governments must come in to alleviate the sufferings of the masses.

“There must be laws regulating rent which must also give the timeline and conditions before any increase,” Igwe added.

Meanwhile, the Anambra State Government says it is planning to develop a policy for mass housing to address housing challenges with private sector’s partnership to ensure sufficient housing in the state.

This was disclosed in a press statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor, on Tuesday.

Mefor said the decision to develop policy for mass house and other key decisions were taking during the Anambra State Executive Council meeting at the Light House, Awka, on Monday.