Lagos rent crisis: Why middle-class tenants are fleeing the city

Once a symbol of opportunity and aspiration, Nigeria’s commercial capital is quickly becoming unlivable for many of its middle-class residents. A sharp surge in rental prices across the city is forcing average earners and working-class families to reconsider their place in Lagos, with many relocating to satellite towns or entirely different states.

In areas like Lekki, Yaba, Surulere, and Ikeja, rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment has doubled—or in some cases tripled—within the past two years. For middle-income earners earning between ₦150,000 and ₦400,000 monthly, the reality is stark: rent now consumes as much as 60-70% of their salary, leaving little for essentials like food, transport, school fees, and healthcare.

“I couldn’t cope anymore”

Ademola Akinbami, a bank staff who once lived in Ogudu GRA, now commutes to Victoria Island daily from Mowe, Ogun State.

“By the time my landlord increased the rent from ₦800,000 to ₦1.5 million, I had to move. My salary hasn’t increased in two years, but rent has doubled,” he lamented. “It didn’t make sense anymore.”

His story is echoed by thousands of others. In a city where real estate has become one of the fastest-growing investment sectors, developers are prioritizing luxury flats and short-let apartments over affordable housing.

Urban development or social exclusion?

Urban planning experts say the Lagos rent crisis reflects a deeper policy failure. While the Lagos State government has made attempts to introduce housing schemes, they remain largely inaccessible to most residents due to rigid eligibility criteria or hidden costs.

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“What’s happening is a silent displacement of the working class,” says Titi Adeniran, a housing rights advocate. “Gentrification is pushing them out of core areas, while transportation costs are rising for those living farther away.”

The ripple effect

The exodus of middle-class tenants is not just a personal inconvenience—it’s creating a ripple effect across the city’s economy. Businesses are losing staff who can no longer afford to live close to work. Schools in inner-city neighborhoods are seeing declining enrollments. Informal vendors are relocating to suburban fringes, and commute times have skyrocketed.

Hope or hopelessness?

Some developers argue that the demand for luxury housing is being driven by market forces and diaspora investments, but critics insist that the city needs rent control laws and a robust social housing policy.

“Lagos should not become a city only for the rich,” says architect and urban strategist, Kunle Ogundipe. “If middle-class and working-class people can’t live here, who will power the economy?”

For now, the Lagos dream remains intact for the elite. But for many average earners, that dream is slipping out of reach—one rent increase at a time.