High accommodation rent: NANS seeks Aiyedatiwa’s intervention

…Says students are becoming homeless

By Adesina Wahab

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Joint Campus Council, JCC, Ondo State Axis, has appealed to the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and members of the State House of Assembly to intervene and safe them from exorbitant rent placed on accommodation and hostels in the state by landlords.

The student body is seeking the regulation of rent in the state to save many students from being homeless.

In an open letter to the governor, signed by Comr. Adekanye Mayomi Adeboye, Chairman, NANS JCC Ondo Axis, the student body said the high cost of rent had become unbearable for its members.
The letter wa also copied the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly and the Commissioner for Education.

“My name is Comr. Adekanye Mayomi Adeboye, the Chairman of NANS JCC Ondo Axis. I write this letter not just as a student leader, but as a voice for thousands of students across our great state from Akungba to Ondo, Akure to Owo, Ikare to Okitipupa, and beyond.

“Today, I appeal from the heart not for political favour, but for practical intervention. An intervention that could save dreams, preserve dignity, and build a better future for the Nigerian students in Ondo State.
“Every academic session, students in Ondo State face the painful burden of unbearably high housing costs. For example, in places like UNIMED, a single self-contained apartment goes for ₦500,000 to ₦600,000 per year. At AAUA, ₦350,000 to ₦450,000 is the standard for subpar rooms often without water, power, or safety. The same pattern repeats itself across other campuses like OAUSTECH, RUGIPO, CHTA, and Ondo state institutions.

“These rents are being demanded from young people who are not salary earners, not entrepreneurs, not civil servants but they are just students and children of market women, farmers, teachers, artisans, and civil servants who are already stretched thin by Nigeria’s economic reality.

“However, I am not saying landlords should not earn from their property, but must that profit come at the expense of students’ survival?

“Your Excellency, we are appealing for two core interventions:
“Regulate Off-Campus Rent for Students: We urge the Ondo State Government and House of Assembly to consider a Student Rent Control Policy for student-dominated communities. This can be done by: Capping rent increases yearly within a controlled bracket and Prohibiting demands for more than one year’s rent upfront, just as it is done in Lagos State under the Tenancy Law of 2011 and making it effective.”
The students also called for the establishment of a tenancy tribunal or mediation body to resolve disputes between students and landlords amicably.

The body also seeks mandating landlords to register their student properties and meet a basic minimum standard.

“Such policies are not new or radical. They are happening in places like Lagos, Enugu, and other states, where the governments understand that protecting students is part of protecting the state’s future.”
NANS also called for investment in campus hostel development.

“Beyond rent control, we strongly recommend that the Ondo State Government invests in constructing student hostels directly on or near campuses. A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model can also be explored with the government providing land and investors handling construction, under strict supervision and student-friendly pricing.

“Imagine if each state-owned campus in Ondo had at least 500 new hostel beds annually built with security, water, electricity, and affordability in mind. It would significantly reduce pressure on off-campus rentals and provide safer alternatives for students; empower more female students and vulnerable students who are currently exposed to harassment or exploitation. It would also boost academic concentration because no student would have to stress about shelter.

“Your Excellency, how many brilliant , smart and intelligent students have deferred their education or dropped out because they couldn’t afford accommodation? How many parents have cried silently after selling all they had to put their child in a school where accommodation costs more than tuition?
“This is why this call is urgent and sacred.

“Sir, the students of Ondo State are not asking for too much. We are only asking to be treated fairly. We are asking for protection from the wave of greed and the illusion that education must come with suffering.

“As the Governor of the Sunshine State, you have consistently demonstrated a commitment to education. However, this present another golden opportunity to show leadership and compassion by leading the first state-wide rent reform and hostel development plan for students in Nigeria’s South West.

“We trust in your listening heart. We believe in your political will and we pray that history will remember you for not just building roads but for protecting young people who carry the burden of tomorrow.
“We are ready to engage constructively. We are willing to collaborate with the Ministry of Housing, the Ministry of Education, the House Committee on Youths and Education, and landlord associations to get this done. Together, we can pioneer what other states will one day adopt as a model.”

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