Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), operating under the platform of the Advisory Forum for Rent (AFR), have sounded the alarm over the worsening housing crisis in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The concern was raised by Mr. Caesar Enwefah, the forum’s convener, during the inaugural meeting of the newly formed group held in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Enwefah linked the growing crisis to the skyrocketing cost of renting accommodation in the city, attributing the hike to arbitrary rent increases by landlords. He revealed that rental costs have surged by over 300% across low-, middle-, and high-income neighbourhoods in the past year alone.
“Due to the spiralling rent situation, many residents are now forced to live in overcrowded and deplorable conditions,” Enwefah said.
“This is why CSOs and other concerned stakeholders have united to confront this troubling development in Rivers State, especially in Port Harcourt.”
Enwefah, a human rights activist, warned that if the current trend continues, rent prices could triple by December, potentially displacing thousands of residents.
“Previously, a one-room self-contained apartment cost between ₦150,000 and ₦200,000. Today, that same apartment rents for between ₦500,000 and ₦700,000. If nothing is done, the price could rise to ₦1.2 million before year-end,” he cautioned.
He added that the situation had left many tenants frustrated, with some forced to relocate to suburban areas like Igbo-Etche and Oyigbo due to unaffordable rent in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor.
Enwefah challenged the narrative that the rising rent was solely caused by economic hardship, urban migration, and population growth. He argued that despite the influx of people, there is no active housing shortage, as ample accommodations still exist.
Instead, he blamed the crisis on administrative failings within the Ministry of Urban Development, accusing it of contributing to an artificial scarcity of housing.
“The ministry continues to issue licences indiscriminately, allowing landlords to convert parts of their residential buildings into shops, thus reducing the availability of affordable rental units,” he alleged.
He called for a prompt review of the rent system and the introduction of regulatory measures to curb exploitative rent hikes, ensuring access to affordable housing for ordinary citizens.
Dr. Mina Aprioku, Chairman of the Advisory Forum for Rent, echoed Enwefah’s concerns. He emphasized the need for state and local governments to invest in mass housing projects, leveraging the state’s abundant undeveloped lands.
“If each local government chairman reclaimed just one hectare of land in the creeks every month, imagine how many housing plots could be developed within a year,” Aprioku proposed.
