Priced Out of Education: How Rising House Rent Is Threatening Nigerian Students’ Dreams

By Ife Oluwa

At 6 a.m. every morning, 20-year-old Ife Oluwa wakes up in a cramped room he shares with two other students. Just a year ago, he paid ₦200,000 for accommodation. Today, the same room costs ₦400,000. To afford the increase, he has cut down on meals, abandoned personal expenses, and now works part-time after lectures.

Ife story is not unique. Across Nigerian universities, rising house rents are pushing students into financial hardship, forcing many to choose between their education and basic survival.

For many Nigerian students, getting an accommodation has become very challenging. What was once an easy and manageable expense has now become a major source of worry for students and their parents. Across many campuses, rents continue to increase yearly, leaving students struggling to keep up.

One of the major reasons behind the increase in house rent is the rising cost of living in Nigeria. Landlords argue that the cost of maintaining buildings, buying construction materials, and providing basic services has gone up significantly. As a result, these costs are often passed on to students, who are left with no choice but to pay or continue searching for cheaper alternatives that are often unavailable so students have limited choice.

The financial pressure created by rising rents is taking a serious toll on students and their families. Many parents struggle to pay for their children school fees, buy textbooks even giving their children allowance to sustain.
And with the high accommodation costs it’s really a burden some parents go as to taking loans to be able to meet up will the dues to be paid. And burden does not stop at finances. I can tell you that worrying about rent affects their concentration in class. Instead of focusing on assignments and examinations, you spend time thinking about how to raise money for accommodation. Or even thinking of taking per time work often sacrificing valuable study time in the process.

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For some students, the situation has become so difficult that continuing their education is no longer guaranteed. Those from low-income families may be forced to defer their studies or drop out completely when accommodation costs become impossible to meet. This reality threatens the dreams of many young Nigerians who see education as their pathway to a better future.

Beyond the financial and academic challenges, rising rents are also affecting students emotionally. The constant fear of not being able to renew accommodation or secure a place to stay creates stress and anxiety. Many students live with uncertainty, unsure of how they will meet the next rent deadline Imagine closing from lectures but afraid of going home because your care taker of landlord will publicly disgrace you for not paying your rent.

As the cost of accommodation continues to rise, many students are finding it harder to pursue their education without financial hardship. If nothing is done to address the situation, access to higher education may become increasingly difficult for students from ordinary backgrounds. Providing more hostel facilities and implementing measures to regulate excessive rent increases could go a long way in easing the burden on students and ensuring that education remains accessible to all.

Ife Oluwa, is a 200-level Journalism and Media Studies student at the Delta State University, Abraka