Tenants lament high rent in Jalingo
Tenants in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, have decried the rising cost of rent, saying they now spend a significant portion of their income on accommodation. Daily Trust gathered that a one-bedroom flat in the town rents for between N150,000 and N200,000 per annum, while a two-bedroom apartment goes for between N300,000 and N500,000, […]
Tenants in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, have decried the rising cost of rent, saying they now spend a significant portion of their income on accommodation.
Daily Trust gathered that a one-bedroom flat in the town rents for between N150,000 and N200,000 per annum, while a two-bedroom apartment goes for between N300,000 and N500,000, depending on location.
Findings indicate that the high cost of building materials and the influx of people into the town are major factors driving the rent increase.
Suleiman Muhammed, a junior staff member in a federal establishment in Jalingo, said he was transferred from Bauchi State and rented a two-bedroom flat in the ATC area of Jalingo for N300,000 per annum.
He said he had been paying N170,000 for a similar apartment in Bauchi and wondered why rent should be higher in Jalingo.
Yahuza Lawal, a trader who relocated from Kano State, said he rented a single room in the Magami area for N120,000 per annum and pays N150,000 yearly for a shop along Hammaruwa Road.
He said the current economic hardship has made it difficult for him to cater for his family.
Another federal civil servant, Mr Joseph Gabriel, said he left some members of his family in Gombe State after he was posted to Jalingo because of the high cost of rent.
An official of the Taraba State Ministry of Works, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the scarcity of government quarters has forced many civil servants to seek private accommodation.
He added that successive administrations in Taraba State have not prioritised the construction of government quarters for workers, resulting in the current housing shortage in Jalingo.