Key Points

• The accommodation crisis in Nigerian universities leaves many students stranded.

• Parents lament rising rent and poor housing conditions near campuses.

• Experts urge urgent government action to solve the housing shortage.

A new academic session has begun in many Nigerian universities, but thousands of students are still without a place to stay.

Hostel spaces are too few, and rent outside the campus has become too expensive for many families.

From Lagos to Nsukka and Ibadan, students are struggling to find affordable rooms. Some now sleep in lecture halls, churches, or share tight spaces with friends just to continue attending classes.

At the University of Lagos, 200-level student Sarah Nwosu said she had been trying for months to get a hostel space without success.

“I’ve applied several times, but I never got a slot. Off-campus rent is too high for my parents. I’ve been staying with a friend while still attending lectures,” she said.

Her story is similar to that of many others across Nigeria’s public universities, where population growth has far outpaced hostel capacity.

Parents lament high rent and exploitation

Parents are now crying out over the rising cost of accommodation in university towns. Many say landlords are taking advantage of the situation to increase rent every year.

In areas like Akoka, Nsukka, and Ile-Ife, the rent for a single room now ranges between ₦300,000 and ₦600,000 per session, depending on the location and facilities.

Some landlords even demand payment in dollars or upfront for two sessions, blaming the country’s inflation and high cost of maintenance.

Mrs. Elizabeth Adeyemi, whose son attends Obafemi Awolowo University, said many parents are overwhelmed.

“It’s sad to see students sleeping in classrooms because they can’t find where to stay. Government and schools need to take this seriously,” she said.

Parents also accused some agents of exploiting students through fake listings and illegal fees, worsening an already difficult situation.

Experts and stakeholders urge urgent solutions

Education experts say the government needs to treat the accommodation crisis as an emergency.

They recommend that universities partner with private investors to build more hostels and make them affordable for students.

Dr. Emmanuel Adedeji, an education analyst, warned that poor living conditions could affect students’ health and performance.

“When students do not have a stable place to live, they lose focus and struggle academically. Some even drop out when they can no longer cope,” he said.

University officials say they are aware of the problem but blame inadequate funding and high construction costs for the delay in expanding hostel facilities.

Some universities rely on public–private partnerships (PPP) for hostel projects, but most of these initiatives move slowly because of poor financing or bureaucracy.

Stakeholders have called on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and state governments to make hostel development a top priority in the ongoing education reforms.

A growing problem across Nigeria

The accommodation challenge is not new, but it is getting worse as university admissions increase yearly.

Many schools were built decades ago and have not expanded to match today’s student population.

Students and parents are now appealing to both the government and private developers to provide safe, affordable housing near campuses.

Without such efforts, experts warn, the learning environment in Nigerian universities will continue to deteriorate.