80% of Rivers residents spend income on rent, says Tenants’ union
National Union of Tenants of Nigeria (NUTN) has decried the escalating cost of rent in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local governments. It described the situation as a growing crisis with
National Union of Tenants of Nigeria (NUTN) has decried the escalating cost of rent in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local governments.
It described the situation as a growing crisis with severe social and economic implications for residents. The Executive Secretary of NUTN, Mr Ceaser Enwefah, said this yesterday in a letter to Governor Siminalayi Fubara in Port Harcourt.
He says over 80 per cent of residents now spend above 100 per cent of their income on rent, urging the state government to act swiftly to prevent full-scale housing crises.
He noted that the trend had left many unable to meet other essential needs, thereby worsening poverty levels.
“Rental costs now account for significant portion of the high cost of living in the capital city, pushing many residents into extreme hardship,” he said.
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Enwefah noted that the union recently conducted a fact-finding study to determine the causes of the crises and propose solutions.
He said the study showed that rental prices had increased between 2023 and 2025 across all categories of housing in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor.
“A single room increased from N60,000 in 2022 to N180,000 in 2026, while self-contain apartments increased from N150,000 to N800,000,” he said.
The NUTN official attributed the rise in rents to multiple factors, including an alleged housing deficit, demolition of structures to pave way for the N200 billion Port Harcourt Ring Road and Bridges project.
