Undergraduates buckle under high cost of accommodation
Finding a place to stay has become one of the biggest problems facing Nigerian undergraduates today. With campus hostels filled up or in bad condition, many students now move off campus in search of a better place. But the cost of rent off-campus keeps rising, leaving students struggling with exorbitant rent, long distances and daily […]
Finding a place to stay has become one of the biggest problems facing Nigerian undergraduates today. With campus hostels filled up or in bad condition, many students now move off campus in search of a better place. But the cost of rent off-campus keeps rising, leaving students struggling with exorbitant rent, long distances and daily transport.
Crowded hostels, dirty environs, privacy, reasons we prefer off-campus- students
Despite the growing concerns, the development however, appears a blessing in disguise for some of the affected students as most say off-campus gives all the peace and comfortability they need to study properly.
In Ilorin, some of them told Weekend Trust that finding a place to stay has become one of the most pressing challenges of university life.
While on-campus hostels are officially available, many are crowded, old and poorly maintained, leaving students to look elsewhere.
For some, the cost of living in some of the school hostels is far higher than what they would pay off campus, but they got a way around it.
They said off-campus accommodation offered a more affordable alternative, especially when students share rooms.
A student of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, who gave his name as Alaba, said he decided to live off campus because the school hostel fees are far higher than what he would pay outside.
“A room of six in the international hostel costs each student N250,000. Besides, the facilities are old, poorly maintained and unhygienic, especially the toilets,” he explained.
He added that while campus accommodation is available, many students prefer off-campus options because they are cheaper and more conducive.
“Off-campus rooms of two can cost around N200,000 per person, and they are much cozier and more comfortable than the campus hostels,” he noted.
A student of Kwara State University told Weekend Trust that off-campus accommodation was generally cheaper than on-campus, although recent increases in hostel fees have narrowed the gap.
“I chose to live off-campus because students in the hostels are no longer allowed to use gas, which makes life difficult. Also, you never really know who you will be sharing with, good or bad students,” he said.
He explained that campus hostels were available, but living off-campus was simply his preferred choice.
Accommodation costs on and off-campus, he said, ranged from N350,000 to N500,000, usually shared among five students.
Mallam Abdullahi, a student of the University of Ilorin, noted that off-campus accommodation was cheaper when shared with other roommates, sometimes costing as little as N50,000 per year per student.
He added that campus hostels could not accommodate all the students, serving only about 20 per cent of the population, which inevitably pushes many to seek off-campus options.
“On-campus fees average between N100,000 and N200,000 for both private and public hostels, while off-campus costs can start as low as N50,000.”
In Abuja, official hostel fees at the University of Abuja range from N15,000 to N25,000 per session, but the institution provides only about 7,000 bed spaces for a student population of more than 50,000. As a result, over 80 per cent of students lack access to on-campus accommodation.
Many students are, therefore, pushed into nearby communities, such as Gwagwalada, Iddo and Tunga Maje, where a single room costs between N80,000 and N150,000 per year. Those who commute from the Abuja city centre spend up to N2,000 daily on transport, often leaving home before dawn and returning late at night.
To cope, students resort to squatting in hostels, sharing small rooms with multiple occupants or taking part-time jobs to meet rent obligations. Many said the long commutes and financial pressure were affecting their studies.
In response to the accommodation shortage, the University of Abuja has begun partnering with private developers to build new hostels. Developers around Gwagwalada are also expanding housing options, though their rates remain high for the average student.
A student, David Abayomi, noted that the biggest challenge was the limited number of available rooms.
“The real problem is getting a hostel space. There are simply not enough rooms for the number of students we have. When booking opens, it becomes highly competitive because the school has far more students than available rooms. They need to build more hostels to accommodate us,” he said.
Another student and SUG Director of Welfare, Atiku Abubakar, highlighted the high cost of off-campus hostels, saying, “The postgraduate hostel costs about N300,000 per session; and it is difficult for most of us to afford. Compared to that, the new boys’ hostel and old girls’ hostel are more reasonable, especially considering the current economic situation.”
Similarly, the SUG Director of Transportation and Commerce, Umar Aliyu, described the financial strain of alternative accommodation thus: “The postgraduate hostel is meant for postgraduate students, but because it is expensive and space is limited, many undergraduates end up staying there too. The international hostel is also costly. Even N100,000 is not affordable for many of us who are sponsoring ourselves,” he said.
With universities across the country admitting far more students than their hostels can take, thousands of undergraduates endure long daily commutes from rented apartments. This exposes them to transport risks, insecurity and poor living conditions that affect both their health and academic performance.
Another student, Onyinyechi Innocent, described the daily ordeal as not convenient.
“It is the stress, the delays, the inconvenience. When you stay off-campus, you travel long distances every day. Distance is a big barrier, and transportation challenges just make everything harder,” she said.
Students argue that the rising cost of accommodation is eroding whatever relief the federal government’s NELFUND loan scheme was meant to provide. Until universities invest in more affordable housing, they said the financial burden would continue to overshadow the benefits of government’s support.
Similarly, in Kano, undergraduates are not left out of this ordeal of frustrating accommodation ordeals being faced by most undergraduates across the country. The area most known for off-campus accommodations for students of the Bayero University, Kano (BUK) is Danbare, followed by other neighbouring communities, such as Rimin Gata.
Many students who spoke to our correspondent in Kano said they preferred to stay there for several reasons, including privacy and freedom from strict university regulations, although they pay exorbitant rents.
Mansur Sulaiman, a 300-level student in the university, noted that he had never stayed in the school hostel, saying, “I cannot cope with sharing a room, toilet and virtually everything with others. When I visit some of my colleagues who stay there, I notice how they queue to fetch water and are always under hall administrators.”
He said he paid N250,000 for a self-contained apartment off-campus for his convenience.
Another student, Ibrahim Musa, noted that although off-campus accommodation is expensive, he prefers it due to privacy. He said: “I pay N100,000 for a single room with a shared toilet and kitchen. It is expensive but I still prefer it. I just can’t stay in a room with four or five other roommates.”
Musa also said even students who could not afford spacious accommodation still preferred to contribute money and stay in pairs rather than stay in a congested hostel on campus.
“In the hostel, you don’t have control over your properties. You can’t cook with a gas cooker due to safety concerns, and electricity is not stable enough to cook with an electric cooker because of epileptic supply,” he added.
He, however, noted that getting accommodation on campus is not as difficult as it used to be as the number of students applying for hostel accommodation has reduced after the recent fee hike. He added that most students from Kano preferred to stay in their houses and commute daily to school rather than stay in hostels.
The closer an apartment is to school, the more expensive – Landlord
A landlord in Danbare, Abdullahi Abubakar, explained why accommodations closer to the university campus are more expensive.
He said apartments for students ranged from a minimum of N100,000 to as much as N300,000, depending on the size and facilities.
“Most of these students prefer here despite the rate, mainly for privacy reasons. Some of them come from wealthy families, so they still want to maintain their lifestyle of freedom, which may not be obtainable on campus.
“But even at that, students rush to get the available spaces; some even struggle to secure them. Many students still prefer to stay outside despite the rate,” he said.
Abubakar said most of the students who can afford expensive accommodation would usually be alone, while those who can’t contribute money and stay in twos or threes.
At the University of Maiduguri, many studentsboth male and female are finding it difficult to cope with the accommodation situation.
Some students interviewed say they struggle every session to pay school and accommodation fees without getting value in terms of services.
“The hostels conditions are in deplorable stateand in most cases force us to seek alternatives that cost more and inconvenience us,” said one of the students, Magret.
Another student, Yukubu Bagu, said the situation has forced some students to connive with bad officials to trade student accommodation at exorbitant rates.
“They buy and sell bed spaces. Hostel spaces officially cost N15,000 and N24,000 but they sell it to desperate students for between N70,000 to 80,000.
“Male hostels D, B, E and Titanic cost 15,000 officially but are resold for 40,000–60,000, while the new Male A and B hostels listed at 24,000 are resold for 60,000–N80,000.
“Female hostels Aisha Hall, Ali Mongono, Murtala and Titanic cost 15,000 but are sold at 30,000–70,000, while Aisha Buhari Hostel (24,000 officially) is resold for about 80,000” he said.
A student, who simply gave her name as Halima, said things have become very difficult for students in the hostels, despite the high cost of accommodation, the problem of theft is becoming serious.
“We don’t have enough charging points for our phones at Titanic hostel, which makes the thieves’ jobs easy to steal when you plug in at a distance. Phone theft is becoming too rampant
“Also, the toilet maintenance is also a problem, the showers don’t rush, improper deposition of use pads, use racks and defecating outside toilet.
Another student, Salis Damboa, find it difficult to survive in the school, especially in the male hostel because of theft and lack of hygiene. “Some windows are broken, and the fans are bad in other male hostels” he said.
He said the rooms in the hostel are small but five people are cramped in a room, “We suffered especially during the heat season,” he said.
In Jos, our correspondent learnt that there are various accommodations for students. ranging from N800,000 and below, depending on the location and facilities. Some single rooms are said to be as low as N80,000 per session.
University of Jos students, many of whom stay off-campus, expressed frustration over the hike in accommodation fees, especially off-campus, noting that the situation is affecting their education.
At the Filling Suku community, where private student hostels are located, there are rooms of different prices, depending on what students can afford. Some of the students living in the area said getting money to pay for accommodation had not been easy.
Chen Manasseh, a student residing at Filling Sukuwa, described the situation as skyrocketing, saying they face difficulties paying their rents.
He said, “The price of accommodation now, compared to how much we paid in the past, is different. It is a hundred per cent increase or even more now. I remember we paid between N35,000 and N50,000 for a single room; the most expensive being N70,000. Now, the situation is different as a single room is between N150,000 and N250,000, depending on the size. The situation is affecting us as students.”
Salem Shadrack, another student, said affording accommodation was difficult because parents, especially farmers, are not finding it easy. He explained that some parents are farmers and have to sell their produce before paying for accommodation.
“This year, the price of farm produce is low, which is why paying for accommodation is not easy for most students whose parents are farmers.
Speaking to Weekend Trust, some students gave reasons why they prefer to stay off-campus.
According to Chen, the non availability of the accommodation pushed him to look for accommodation off campus. “I believe everyone wants to stay on campus, but the accommodation is not always enough. Sometimes the accommodation in the school will take only 10 per cent of the student population. It is not our choice, but we have to look for accommodation outside the campus.
“Accommodation is about comfort because it is when you sleep well that you will be able to study well. In this case, we are comfortable living outside the school because we are just two to three students in a room. Since they can’t afford to rent rooms individually, this way, we are comfortable.
“Many of us say there’s no privacy in school because in a room you have many students and your privacy is at stake. You can lose your items because you are not the only one in the room. That’s why many people go out to look for accommodation where you can read comfortably without people disturbing you,” he added.
In Benue State, students in universities continue to agonise over the high burden of accommodation outside their campuses.
Some of them who spoke to our correspondent in Makurdi lamented that the challenge had made life difficult for them as they struggle to survive with other pressing needs in school.
Students across the universities – Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University (JOSTUM), formerly known as Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM); Father Adasu University, Makurdi (FAUM), formerly known as Benue State University (BSU), and the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO) – noted that they juggle classes with side hustles to survive.
Blessing Jeremiah, a 200-level student of Botany at JOSTUM mentioned the high cost of accommodation as a major challenge she faces in school, which has further caused hardship for her parents.
“Accommodation issues have made life on campus difficult. Many of us have to juggle classes with side hustles to survive – some sell food, clothes or data, while others do online jobs to support themselves.
“Accommodation is a major challenge because hostels are overcrowded and private apartments off-campus are too expensive, forcing some students to squat with friends.
“Honestly, we need urgent government’s intervention. The federal government should improve hostel facilities,” Jeremiah said.
Her course mate, Elizabeth Agbo, a 200-level Botany student, described life on campus as tough when combined with the challenge of accommodation.
For Esther Uju, a 300-level student of the state-owned university, FAUM, who pays N150,000 off-campus annually, it has not been easy but worth it.
She said, “I avoided the hostels because they are overcrowded, lack privacy and have issues like theft and poor hygiene.
“The hostels on campus are congested and not well maintained. Toilets and bathrooms are often dirty; and there’s little control over noise or personal space. “I chose to pay more off-campus and have a cleaner, quiet space and a secure environment, although it is expensive.”
Uju, however, agonised over her experience in the hands of landlords, noting that some of them, though cooperative, increase rent without notice or basic maintenance.
She added, “You also have to deal with their strict rules and extra charges sometimes.”
Another FAUM student, Joy Okoro, said her accommodations outside campus cost N130,000 per annum for a single room and that she chose to be off-campus because of the circumstances that surround the hostels.
“Most students don’t keep their areas clean. Outside that, I am a business-oriented student. I am versatile in different areas and calls could come in from a client anytime for a job/delivery. Also, students are not allowed to use gas in the hostel.
“Noise too is one of the reasons I stay away from the hostel. I can’t cope in a noisy environment,” she said.
She further explained that her experience in the hands of landlords are often inconveniencing as they are asked to stop fetching water by 6pm. And too many visitors are not allowed in the compound, so many people are not permitted to sleep over in her place, no matter what their reasons might maybe.
For Robert Owoicho, a 100-level student of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, campus hostels are expensive and off-campus rooms are ridiculously expensive too.
He said, “I am talking about N300,000 and above for a single room. I had to settle for a lower cost room in town, which is far from the school.
“In order to survive, I have become an expert at budgeting for food. I practically live on low cost goods. I started a micro‑business within town, although it is not convenient. I can’t afford to miss lectures, so I walk a lot to save on transport.
Paul Titus, a 100 level student of Computer Science of the FUHSO, explained that his initial excitement of gaining admission had been replaced with anxiety as it now feels like the school management and the government are actively trying to price poor people out of education.
Titus said the high expenditures in school had left his parents financially crippled.
“I am not on campus as I have to commute a long distance daily, which is expensive and exhausting. I arrive at lectures tired; and I am missing out on campus life and study groups,” he concluded.
In Bayelsa and Rivers states, undergraduates are lamenting the shortage of accommodation on campuses; hence they are forced to go off-campus despite the fact that houses are expensive.
Students from the Niger Delta University, Amassoma and the Federal University, Otuoke, all in Bayelsa State, as well as the University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State, told Weekend Trust that despite the expensive rents off-campus, they had no option since accommodation on campus is not enough for students.
Ebiere Kelvin, a first-year student of the Niger Delta University, said that after she got admission, before she could finish with the registration formalities, she was told that accommodation spaces on campus had finished. She noted that her next option was to go off-campus, where she found other roommates and they jointly paid N250,000 as rent annually.
She said, “The challenge is insufficient bed spaces on campus because the population of students is far more than what they have hostels; and getting a space is first come, first serve; and those who have connections.
“Students rush to get spaces at the hostel because the price is cheap; but again, one must also consider how comfortable it is to live in hostel because sometimes, people are squeezed into the few available spaces.
“So, the school management should endeavour to build more accommodations through TETFUND of ETF projects. Thank God the NDDC is building hostel accommodation for us. When it is complete, most of the challenges of staying off-campus will be solved.”
Already, students from the Federal University, Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa, are calling on the Student Union Government and the school management to facilitate adequate accommodation for all students to live inside the campus.
They also pleaded with the host community and property owners to be lenient with students by making accommodation off-campus affordable.
Testimony Udochukwu, a 300-level student of the university, said he was particularly concerned about the sharp increase in house rents, with some landlords reportedly raising prices by a significant margin when compared to the previous year.
According to him, the constant hike in house rent is worrisome, even if building materials are expensive.
“Students are struggling to afford rent as some landlords increasing prices. For example, my rent was increased from N250,000 to N300, while others are paying N400,000 or N500,000 for self-contained accommodation; and still having to pay for electricity,” he lamented.
A landlord in Amassoma, the host community to the Niger Delta University, Mr Ebitimi Hayford, said rents were fixed based on prevalent economic realities in the country, citing the cost of building materials.
He said: “Even after building a house, you still need to carry out maintenance annually, and it is the money you get from rents that will be used to buy materials and pay workmen.
“If the government can ensure that the cost of building materials is reduced, certainly, house rents would be reduced. Landlords cannot run at a loss.”
15,000 students live off-campus in Niger
In Niger, Weekend Trust checks at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, a state-owned university, show that no fewer than 15,000 students of the institution live off-campus, resulting in high accommodation demand and exorbitant charges by landlords.
Students told our correspondent that landlords see them as money-making ventures, charging between N150,000 and N200,000, depending on the proximity of houses to the university campus and the facilities provided.
Hanifa Muhammad, a female student of the Department of Mass Communication, appealed to the university and the state government to build more hostels on campus to ease the burden of high rent.
“We have houses of N120,000, N150,000 and N200,000, depending on how close they are to the university and the facilities available. Some houses don’t have water and students carry out maintenance works, especially for toilet facilities. When students complain, landlords don’t care about maintenance. So, students use their money to maintain the rooms and are not reimbursed.
“Again, the challenge of lack of maintenance is not peculiar to off-campus houses. Even in school hostels, students use their money to fix some things, especially toilets, because the university doesn’t do it,” she said.
Some students who spoke to Weekend Trust said that 10 to 20 students sleep in a room in the university hostels due to the high cost of off-campus accommodation.
A 400-level female student who spoke anonymously said there were six students in a room in the university’s NSDC hostel, and each student pays N40,000.
“We have six hostels in the IBB University, one for male students and five for female students. In my hostel, which is the NSDC hostel, each student pay N40,000 and we are six in each room. But in other hostels, you find up to eight students in a room, while in some rooms, you have up to 20 students. The room where you find 20 students is called ‘Common Room.’
“The number of female students staying off-campus is high. Accommodation in the school hostel is not enough; and the lack of funds to rent houses off-campus has forced many students to stay with friends. So, you find 10 students in a room originally meant for six,” she said.
She also noted that another factor that makes students stay off-campus is that most of the hostels are not habitable. “Students don’t like staying in the hostel because some hostels are not habitable, and the rate of and risks of infection is usually high, especially in the female hostels.
Govt’s commitment
Meanwhile, the federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to improve hostel accommodation for students across tertiary institutions in the country.
Responding to inquiries on the steps being taken, the Federal Ministry of Education said substantial progress had been recorded through the expansion of public-private partnerships, aimed at addressing the accommodation deficit.
The ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, explained that the government had been encouraging institutions to partner with private developers to build and upgrade hostels.
“The federal government has done a lot in the area of accommodation for students. This has been achieved by encouraging public-private partnerships. And these partnerships are carried out directly with the schools,” she said.
She said these collaborations were helping institutions to expand and modernise their hostel facilities, ensuring that more students can access safe, conducive and affordable housing on campus.
According to her, the PPP model provides a sustainable way to invest in student accommodation while reducing the financial burden on public funds. The approach, she said, would continue to be strengthened as part of ongoing reforms in the education sector.
Contributions from Mumini Abdulkareem, Illorin, Abubakar Akote (Minna), Jide Olusola (Abuja), Sani Ibrahim Paki (Kano), Ado Abubakar Musa (Jos), Hope Abah (Makurdi), Bassey Willie (Yenagoa) & Hamisu Matazu, (Maiduguri)