Students of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) are voicing frustration over the recent surge in house rent prices across Keffi town, describing the situation as exploitative and a threat to their education.
In recent months, the cost of off-campus accommodation around the university has risen by as much as 150%, leaving many students scrambling for affordable alternatives.
Areas such as High Court, Angwan Lambu, Low-cost, and GRA have witnessed particularly steep rises, with single-room apartments now going for between ₦300,000 and ₦600,000 per annum, more than double the rates paid by students just two years ago.
“This is becoming unbearable, landlords are just fixing prices anyhow, and there’s no one to regulate them.
Most of us survive on tight budgets, and this rent increase is eating into our feeding and transportation money,” said Blessing Emmanuel, a 300-level student of Sociology.
Many students who cannot afford the new rates are now being forced to share cramped spaces, move farther away from campus, or even consider dropping out due to financial stress.
“Some of my friends have moved to places like Masaka and Akwanga because rent there is cheaper. But that means waking up before 5 a.m. to get to class on time,” added Chinedu Okeke, a 200-level Economics student.
The problem, according to some property owners, is not without justification, they cite rising construction costs, inflation, and demand exceeding supply as reasons for the hike.
“The cost of building materials has more than doubled in the last two years cement, roofing sheets, labour, everything.
“Most of these properties are built and maintained with private funds. If we don’t adjust rent to reflect current realities, landlords will run at a loss. It’s not about exploiting students it’s just the market reacting to economic pressures,” said Mr. Ahmed Danlami, an estate manager based in Keffi.
While NSUK does have some hostels on campus, the capacity is grossly insufficient to meet the growing student population, forcing thousands to seek accommodation in town.
Efforts to contact the Student Union Government (SUG) representative for comments were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.
As education becomes increasingly unaffordable for many Nigerian youths, the soaring cost of housing in university towns like Keffi is yet another hurdle.
Students of NSUK are calling on the state government, university authorities, and housing regulators to step in before the crisis forces more students out of school.
