Lagos housing crisis: Deputy Governor advises young workers to live with relatives

Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat has sparked debate after advising young workers struggling with high rents to live with parents, relatives, or roommates until they can afford independent housing. During a radio session, Hamzat suggested that young professionals should not feel pressured to rent expensive apartments immediately upon starting work, noting that spending more than 40 per cent of income on rent is unsustainable.

The comments come amid a significant housing squeeze in Nigeria. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that annual rent inflation in Nigeria jumped to 33.74 per cent in July 2026, up from 14.79 per cent in June. In Lagos, some apartment rents have reportedly increased from ₦500,000 to ₦2.5 million annually over a two-year period.

While some residents view the Deputy Governor’s advice as a practical coping mechanism, others have criticized it as insensitive to the financial realities of young workers. The crisis is also driving a discussion about migration to smaller Nigerian cities and satellite towns to find better quality of life, though this often introduces the burden of long, expensive commutes.