Homelessness is gradually creeping into university campuses in the country as a result of inadequate accommodation for students, with some having to roam about looking for where to lay their heads after the day’s academic work.

Though some private investors built hostels on campuses, high rent is making such facilities out of the reach of most students. The situation is also compounded by shyster landlords in communities where higher institutions are located, who jack up rent in connivance with estate agents.

The situation is acute in big cities like Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and others.

Parents’ lamentation

“If I had considered the cost of accommodation and the stress associated with getting one for my child, I would not have allowed my son to apply to any university in Lagos.”

That was the lamentation of a senior journalist with a Lagos-based newspaper, whose son was recently offered admission by a university in the city. The boy’s elder brother had attended a university in Osun State and the process of getting accommodation for him was not that stressful.

The journalist, simply identified as Bamidele, had tried for weeks to get accommodation for his child to no avail, as he scouted nearby residential areas to see if he could get accommodation for his son.

Another parent, Victor, recalled what he went through trying to find where his daughter will reside.

“I have only one day off at work and for weeks now, I have been spending that day looking for accommodation for my daughter at a place that will not be far from her school. I was taken aback when one of the agents we contacted sent a voice note, saying that a bed space he found in a private hostel is N400,000 per annum. It is a bed space and three persons are going to share the room. Haba, how do I raise such money when there are other commitments to attend to?” he queried.

Situation at UNILAG

At the University of Lagos, UNILAG, hostel fees vary significantly between official on-campus hostels and private hostels in surrounding areas and even within the campus. In the just-ended 2024/2025 session, rates for official hostels were between N80,000 to N100,000 in Akoka and Idi Araba campuses.

But the about 8,000 bed spaces available for over 40,000 students, have naturally led to many students living off campus, squatting with colleagues or opting for private hostels.

The last academic session witnessed many students spending the first semester commuting to school from home because of the lateness of the contractors given the job of renovating the school’s official hostels.

Balloting for official hostels for 2025/2026 session has not begun as of the time of filing this report. However, the increase in the number of new intakes, it is likely going to be a war securing an official apartment.

In contrast, fees for private hostels skyrocketed in mid-2025 with single rooms reaching up to N950,000 and four-person rooms costing over N710,000 for the academic session, triggering protests from students due to the drastic increase.

Now, in some private hostels, a one-room apartment has gone for as high as N1.2 million, while a four-bed space room has gone to about N900,000.

At LASU

Lagos State University, LASU, started as non-residential and with time, the owners and the management saw the need to allow for private persons and groups to come in and build hostels for the use of students. However, the number of hostels so provided has been inadequate for the teeming student population.

The hostel fees vary by facility. The new hostels charge approximately N350,000 per bed space for a session, while the older hostels are significantly cheaper at around N150,000 per bed space. The cost depends on the hostel’s age and room type, with newer facilities offering more amenities at a higher price.

Students’ burden in Plateau universities

The challenge of securing affordable accommodation has become a tough struggle for students of the University of Jos, UNIJOS, and Plateau State University, PLASU, Bokkos.

With rising rent in surrounding communities and limited hostel facilities on campus, many students are left grappling with both financial and academic pressures.

At UNIJOS, official hostel fees as obtained from the Directorate of Students Affairs, range from N23,000 to N100,000.

The figures revealed, “Abuja Hostel is N23,350, Bank Road Hostel is N28,350, MBBS Hostel JUTH is ¦ 111,850, Naraguta Hostel is N46,850, PG Hostel is N96,850, Richard Road Hostel is N28,350, Village Hostel is N23,350, Zion Hostel is N46,850.”

Many of the students resort to shared apartments in the Naraguta Student Village, Bauchi Road, Risau village, Angwan Rukuba, Gondola, Yan-Trailer, Eto-Baba, Tina, and other areas where rents have also continued to climb steeply.

A recently advertised one bedroom apartment goes for N225,000 per year at the Angwan Rukuba area. At the Angwan Jarawa area of Faringada, one room is pegged at between N300,000 and N350,000, at the ECWA Staff area, a similar apartment costs between N275,000 and N350,000 depending on the neatness of the house.

These prices, Precious Usman, a 200L student said, “is well above what most students can afford.”

However, a staff of the Directorate who refused to be named explained, “Accommodation is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so early application is key. The University has streamlined hostel applications through its student portal, making it easier to secure accommodation remotely, and the process is seamless.”

At Plateau State University, Bokkos, accommodation fees are relatively lower, ranging from N30,000 to N60,000. Hostel space is compulsory for fresh students, who have the highest share, while returning students share what is left.

Although, the university has not published its total bed capacity, expansion efforts are visible. In November 2024, TETFund handed over a 192-bed female hostel, while management pledged to provide comprehensive hostel accommodation for all students as new blocks are completed.

For now, however, returning students often rent apartments in Bokkos town or endure daily travel from surrounding villages, facing the same mix of cost, transport strain and safety concerns as their counterparts in Jos.

A staff, who also declined to be named, said the bed spaces are about 700 and “the hostels are in three categories. There is that of N30,000 and it accommodates eight students per room, then there is that of N40,000 and N50,000 that contain six students in each room. Off Campus accommodations range from N40,000 to N250,000 depending on the quality of the house.”

At Federal University, Otuoke, NDU, others

Inadequate hostel accommodation has been a major concern in some of the universities in Bayelsa State due to growing population making it difficult for students to get spaces in the hostels. Most students are forced to seek alternative accommodation outside their campuses.

At Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, where the bulk of the student population stay off campus, accommodation has remained a big challenge not only for students but also staff members of the institution.

The official accommodation fee is N55,000. However, some students pay more, as others, particularly fresh and final year students, sell off their bed spaces for as high as N100,000.

Findings show that hostel accommodation is grossly inadequate as only about a quarter of the students can be accommodated on campus. Accommodation off campus is high, same as the cost of living. What is particularly worrisome is the high cost of rents at Otuoke and other adjoining communities.

For instance, a single room apartment goes for as high as between N350,000 and N450,000 per annum depending on the location, while a self-contained apartment is between N500,000 to N700,000 per annum depending on the location.

Hostel accommodation fees at Niger Delta University, NDU, are between N40,000 and N50,000 (each attracts N5,000 as online transaction charges), with priority accorded first and final year students.

However, the difference in fees is determined by the location of the hostel, old site and new site with distance of about three minutes’ drive. Campus shuttle between the old and new sites costs N150.

It was learned that a new 500-bed hostel is being spearheaded at the university’s new site by a Foundation.

At the relatively new University of Africa, Toru-Orua, hostel accommodation fee is N50,000, and its facilities are in good shape.

Bayelsa Medical University, Yenagoa, which was established in 2019, has a relatively small student population and the hostel fee is N100,000 with functional facilities in a conducive environment.

At Bayelsa State-owned Niger Delta University, Amassoma, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, most of the no fewer than 16,000 students live off campus at Amassoma and Ogobiri, the host communities of the university. Rents for students’ hostel go for between N200,000 and N600,000 depending on amenities provided.

I pay N120,000 per annum as a squatter

A 100 level student of the Federal University, Otuoke, Prince Ommena, who hails from the East told Vanguard that he is paying N120,000 to squat with four others in a self-contain apartment.

“As a school located outside the state capital, we had thought that the accommodation would be affordable. It was when I finished my clearance that the reality dawned on us. I am paying N120,000 just to squat with four other students in a self-contain apartment. It has not been easy but as a student, I have no choice than to cope,” he said.

Most students whose parents live in Yenagoa and its environs spend between N2,400 and N3000, daily, on transportation to and from Otuoke.

Some time ago, some civil society groups and students protested over the high cost of accommodation in Otuoke, calling for government’s intervention to regulate the rents but nothing has been done.

What obtains in Ilorin

The University of Ilorin, Kwara State has well over 50,000 students. Despite continuous construction of private hostels in the university environment, students’ accommodation crisis has remained a big challenge.

A room for four students within the university environment is N197,000. Still within the school environment, there are options of two students in a room and one student in a room which cost as high as N300,000 and N380,000 per session respectively.

Accommodation is a challenge in UNIBEN – Parents, students

Securing hostel accommodation at the University of Benin has always been a headache majorly because the available hostel accommodation on campus is always insufficient for the number of students flocking into the two campuses of the university in Ugbowo, which is the permanent site and Ekheuan, the original starting point of the school.

Several organizations and individuals like the NDDC, TY Danjuma Foundation, private companies and others have built hostels and donated them to the university. Those hostels are hotcakes and people pay as much as N300,000 per session to get a space in them.

Another source of accommodation for students is the boys quarters (BQ) attached to official quarters of both academic and non-academic staff in the university.

What parents, students do to secure accommodation

A parent of a student at UNIBEN, who does not want his name mentioned, said two his children have been in the school for the past five years and that he once paid as much as N300,000 to get accommodation for one of them in one of the new hostels, while his second child currently stays in a BQ where he paid N150,000 and carried out repairs.

“Though officially the amount is always stated but we pay more and “sort” before one can get it. My children have been inside the campus but you must “sort”, even though they are qualified to get accommodation. The last one that my children paid, was one of the best inside the campus but this session, I made arrangement for a BQ. The BQs are in bad shape and at times we have to carry out some repairs to make them a bit comfortable.”

UI students groan

The University of Ibadan is facing a deepening accommodation crisis that continues to weigh heavily on its students, those living in the halls of residence and those forced to secure housing off campus in nearby Agbowo, Sango, Eleyele and Ojoo.

Despite the prestige of being Nigeria’s premier university, the institution has struggled to provide adequate bed spaces for its fast-growing student population, and the consequences have been far-reaching for learning, welfare and student wellbeing.

The official accommodation fees at the University of Ibadan remain relatively low with many undergraduate halls charging N30,000 per session and some special or premium halls charging up to N80,000. Postgraduate halls are more expensive, with one-room hostels going for between N150,000 and N175,000.

However, the affordability of these halls is overshadowed by the fact that the university simply does not have enough spaces to meet demand.

The university’s Lodgings Unit disclosed that there are about 9,859 bed spaces across its halls of residence, while the student population is between 30,000 and 33,000. This means that only around one-third of students, at best, can be accommodated on campus.

‘Our experiences’

Some students of the University of Ibadan have expressed frustration at having to pay for facilities that do not meet basic standards, and many say the conditions make it difficult to focus on their studies.

I live in one of the older halls and sometimes we go days without water. The bathrooms are overcrowded and it is a daily struggle. We pay fees every session, but what we get in return is far below expectation,” said Bola Ajibade, a 300-level student in the Faculty of Arts.

Those forced to live outside the university face even greater challenges. The surrounding areas of Agbowo, Sango, Eleyele and Ojoo have long served as student enclaves, but the housing market there has become increasingly unaffordable.

A single self-contain apartment now ranges from N150,000 to as much as N600,000 a year, depending on the quality and location. Agents have worsened the situation by charging exorbitant commissions, demanding multiple months of rent upfront and inflating prices at every opportunity. Many students complained of exploitation, with some left stranded after paying for apartments that are either substandard or already occupied.

“I paid N250,000 for a self-contain apartment in Agbowo and the agent still collected N50,000 as commission. The room is small and we experience constant power outage but there is nothing I can do because getting campus accommodation is almost impossible,” lamented Chinedu Okeke, a postgraduate student.

To cope with these challenges, students have resorted to a variety of measures. Some choose to share overcrowded rooms to split the cost, while others commute long distances from relatives’ homes in Ibadan.

Those who can afford it opt for privately built hostels or “hubs” that provide more reliable amenities. Others juggle part-time work alongside their studies to make ends meet while some end up in unsafe or makeshift accommodation.

Varsity’s effort

In response, the university has made attempts to partner with philanthropists and private developers to expand its accommodation capacity.

Private developers have built hostels around the campus, offering better amenities such as generators and study rooms, often at rates beyond the reach of many students. While these initiatives help, they remain insufficient to bridge the gap between supply and demand.

Speaking on the situation, Mr. Omotoso, a senior officer at the university’s Lodgings Unit, admitted the challenge, saying: “The number of students far outweighs available bed spaces, and we are doing our best within limited resources. That is why the university has been encouraging private partnerships to build more hostels. However, affordability remains a key concern.”

According to Comrade Sulaiman, a representative of the Students’ Union, “The government and the university management must act fast. Students are suffering, both on campus and outside. Agents are exploiting us, and our hostels are falling apart. Education cannot thrive under these conditions.”

Federal varsity hostels more expensive in Taraba

Hostel accommodation costs at Federal University, Wukari have been found to be more expensive than those at Taraba State University, Jalingo, according to Vanguard’s checks. However, a shared problem for both institutions is inadequate hostel facilities.

Findings reveal that a hostel bed space at Federal University, Wukari, costs ¦ 35,000, while the same at the state university is ¦ 12,500.

A student from the Federal University, Wukari, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said her cousin, a fresher, had to buy a bed space from another student for ¦ 120,000.

In a clarion call to their school managements, students from both institutions urged them to provide more bed spaces to cater to all students. They agreed that this would make life easier and learning more enjoyable on campus.

Students lack hostel accommodations in EBSU, AE-FUNAI

In Ebonyi State, there are three government-owned universities namely Ebonyi State University, EBSU, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo, AE-FUNAI, and David Umahi Federal University of Health Services, DUFUHS, Uburu. The universities are located in three senatorial zones of the state.

Among the three universities EBSU is worst hit by lack of hostel where 97 percent of students live off the three campuses of Permanent site, PRESCO and CAS campuses with no hostel built by the institution. The students resort to renting private apartments and hostels.

In AE-FUNAI (Ekwueme University) there are five hostels, two for female students and two for male students and one for male medical students. There are two hostels for clinical students at the teaching hospital in Abakaliki.

The hostel fee is N70,000 per student for an academic session. The private hostels outside the university take as much as N250,000 and N450,000 a year for a self-contain apartment.

Chief Public Relations Officer of the institution Mr. Ikechukwu Elom, stated that hostels were not enough because of the increasing number of students’ population which is now 14,000.

Off campus accommodation rent skyrockets in ABSU, Abia Poly

Cost of accommodation at the Abia State University, ABSU, Uturu, in Isuikwuato council of the state, is rising beyond what parents and guardians can afford for their children and wards.

An off campus accommodation goes for between N170,000 and N500,000 annually.

Sources at the University told Vanguard that the official hostel accommodation for first year undergraduates goes for N60,000. The hostel accommodation fee is paid on registration together with the tuition and other fees. However, it was gathered that despite the low charges for first year students, most of them prefer residing in off campus residences, especially due to the unhygienic nature of the school hostels.

Vanguard learned that Governor Alex Otti has pledged to build a 5,000 capacity hostel at ABSU.

Same story in Kano

Kano State-owned tertiary institutions are heavily subsidized unlike what obtains in the federal university within the same environment.

At Aliko Dangote University, Wudil, hostel accommodation for a session is N15,000, while Bayero University, Kano, charges N60,000 for the same services.

Unlike Wudil, hostel accommodations are not readily available in BUK due largely to over population.

In some cases, students who can’t afford hostel accommodation or off campuses, move to squat with their friends or relatives living nearby.

UniAbuja students lament

High cost of accommodation has become a major challenge for students of the University of Abuja, UniAbuja, with many forced to live off-campus.

Official hostel fees at UniAbuja range between N15,000 and N25,000 per session but the university provides only about 7,000 bed spaces for a student population of over 50,000. This leaves more than 80 percent of the students without access to on-campus accommodation.

As a result, most students rent rooms in 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 Abuja city centre spend up to N2,000 daily on transport, with many leaving home before dawn and returning late at night.

Students cope by squatting in hostels, sharing single rooms with multiple occupants or taking up part-time jobs to meet rent obligations. Some say the stress of commuting and financial pressure negatively affects their academic performance.

To tackle the problem, the University of Abuja has entered into public-private partnerships to build new hostels, while private developers around Gwagwalada continue to provide accommodation, though at high rates.

“Getting a hostel space here is like winning a lottery. I applied twice and never got one. Off-campus rent is just too expensive for most of us”, Grace Ukem, a 200-level student of the university lamented while speaking with Vanguard.

On his part, Bello Abubakar, a 300-level student said: “I share a one-room apartment with three other guys in Gwagwalada. We split the N120,000 rent, but the place is cramped and uncomfortable.”

Mary Johnson, a 100-level student who also spoke, said: “I live with my elder brother in Kubwa and spend about N1,500 daily on transport. Sometimes I miss morning lectures because I can’t leave home as early as 5 a.m. every day.”

Another student having accommodation problems, Nonso Chukwuemeka, who spoke, said: “Even though hostel fees on campus are affordable, the bed spaces are too few compared to our population. Many students are forced outside where landlords exploit us.”

“The stress of hustling for accommodation distracts us from academics. If the government and schools can build more hostels, it will reduce our suffering,” said another 200-level student, who identified herself as Aisha Mohammed.

Cost of on/off campus accommodation in Uyo

Eyo Johnson, a 200 Level student of Medicine and Surgery lives in M2 Hall of Residence at the University of Uyo, UNIUYO, Mkpa Campus Annex. According to him, the official allotment of campus hostel space is just N20,000 per session. But for the NDDC Hostel at the Permanent Campus and the ones at Abak Road (Teaching Hospital), the facilities are modern and better, so they go for N50,000 per bed space.

“New (fresh) students are usually disadvantaged as most of them would still be struggling to secure admission when the portal opens for hostel allocation. And without securing your Reg number, you can’t access the portal.

“Usually, most of these beginner students grab campus hostel spaces by buying from resellers. That could go up to N40,000 or N45,000. It’s a pretty straight transaction, the challenge being the limited spaces.

“I bought a resell for N45,000. I came in through direct entry, so I couldn’t secure the space formally at the official rate. But it’s pretty convenient out here, especially with light from both public supply and power generator.”

A source at the student affairs office said: “All I can tell you is campus hostel spaces are never enough, but even if enough, not every student wants to stay on campus. We try to be as transparent as much as possible.”

Around the Permanent Site, Mkpa or Abak campuses, off campus accommodation varies according to the quality of amenities, proximity to school and reliability of power supply.

A student in the department of Mass Communication, Miss Dorothy Nworah, lamented: “We are finding it difficult to cope without hostel in the school. Most of the students live in the town where we are paying between N400,000 and N600,000 for self-contain apartment while some students rented three-bedroom apartments and shared the rooms at the cost of N800,000 and N1 million per year.”

ABSU students’ experience

A first year student of the department of Statistics in Abia State University, ABSU, who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, said he paid for and was allocated a bed space at the hostel as a first-year student, but could not make use of it because of overcrowding and the unhygienic condition of the hostel.

He said: “A two room self-contain new building in an off campus lodge goes for between N300,000 to N500,000. Old buildings go for N170,000 to N200,000 , depending on the area. I was allocated a bed space as a first year student but I had to sell it off to secure an off campus accommodation because of the unhygienic condition of the hostels.”

It is the same situation at the Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, formerly Abia State Polytechnic, which is non-residential. A two room self-contain apartment goes for N250,000, while a two-bedroom apartment in a new building goes for between N400,000 and N700,000.

NANS seeks government’s intervention

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Joint Campus Council, JCC, Ondo State Axis, has called for government’s intervention in the matter. The student body is seeking the regulation of rent to save many students from being homeless.

In an open letter to the Ondo State governor by Comr. Adekanye Adeboye, Chairman, NANS JCC Ondo Axis, the student body said the high cost of rent had become unbearable for its members.

The letter was also copied the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly and the Commissioner for Education.

The students’ leader wrote: “I write this letter not just as a student leader but also 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 for practical intervention. An intervention that could save dreams, preserve dignity, and build a better future for 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-contain apartment goes for N500,000 to N600,000 per year. At AAUA, N350,000 to N450,000 is the standard for subpar rooms often without water, power or security. 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, entrepreneurs or civil servants. 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.”

Public private partnership is the solution – NAPTAN

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, while commenting on the development, said only public private partnership is the solution.

“The number of students seeking admission and being admitted to our universities, whether public and private keeps increasing every year and the facilities are not increasing at the same rate. Regarding hostel accommodation, the only way out to make things better is to adopt the PPP approach. The government would just have to support the private investors one way or the other, so that what they are going to offer will be affordable,” he said.

FG highlights efforts on students’ hostel accommodation

Meanwhile, the federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving hostel accommodation for students across tertiary institutions in the country.

Responding to enquiries on measures being taken in this regard, the government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, explained that significant efforts have been made through the promotion of Public-Private Partnerships, PPP.

Director of Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Folasade Boriowo, who spoke, said: “The Federal Government has done a lot in the area of accommodation for students. The government has done this through encouraging Public Private Partnership. And the partnership is with schools.”

According to her, the partnerships are being implemented in collaboration with various schools to expand and upgrade hostel facilities, ensuring that more students have access to safe, conducive, and affordable accommodation on campus.

She further noted that the PPP model allows for sustainable investment in student housing while reducing the burden on public funds, adding that this approach will continue to be strengthened as part of broader reforms in the education sector. (Vanguard)