UNILAG, UI, LASU Students Stranded as Hostel Shortage Hits Campuses

Nigeria’s tertiary institutions are facing an escalating accommodation crisis that has left thousands of students stranded, squatting, or commuting long distances to attend classes. From Lagos to Jos, Ibadan to Otuoke, the story is the same limited bed spaces, skyrocketing rent, and growing frustration among students and parents.

Despite efforts by both the federal and state governments, hostel facilities across public universities remain grossly inadequate. Even where private investors have intervened, the cost of rent has pushed accommodation far beyond the reach of most students.

Many parents say the current situation has made sending children to school a financial nightmare.
A Lagos-based journalist, Mr. Bamidele, told Vanguard that securing accommodation for his son, recently admitted to a university in the city, has been “a frustrating and expensive ordeal.”

Another parent, Victor, described being asked to pay ₦400,000 annually for a single bed space shared by three students. “How do we afford this when tuition and feeding are also there?” he queried.

At the University of Lagos (UNILAG), fewer than 8,000 bed spaces are available for a student population of over 40,000. Official hostel fees range from ₦80,000 to ₦100,000, but private hostels around Akoka and Idi-Araba now charge between ₦900,000 and ₦1.2 million per session.

In Lagos State University (LASU), new private hostels charge as high as ₦350,000 per bed space, while older facilities go for ₦150,000 — still far beyond the reach of most students.

At the University of Ibadan (UI), Nigeria’s premier university, hostel spaces are available for barely one-third of the 33,000-student population. Although official fees range between ₦30,000 and ₦80,000 per session, off-campus accommodation in Agbowo, Sango, and Ojoo now costs between ₦150,000 and ₦600,000 yearly. Many students complain of exploitation by agents and substandard facilities.

“The stress of finding accommodation is distracting. Some of us live in unsafe places or spend hours commuting from home,” said a UI student, Bola Ajibade.

In northern institutions like the University of Jos (UNIJOS) and Plateau State University, students pay between ₦23,000 and ₦100,000 for hostels on campus, but the limited spaces push many off campus, where rent can exceed ₦300,000.
The story is similar at the University of Abuja, where more than 80 percent of the 50,000 students live off campus, paying between ₦80,000 and ₦150,000 yearly for single rooms in Gwagwalada and other communities.

In the Niger Delta region, students of Federal University, Otuoke and Niger Delta University, Amassoma, are equally burdened by high rent. A single self-contain apartment around Otuoke goes for between ₦500,000 and ₦700,000, with many students forced to squat or share rooms.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged both federal and state governments to regulate off-campus rents, citing examples of rent control laws in Lagos State. In a letter to the Ondo State Government, the students’ body described the current situation as “unbearable,” warning that many students are at risk of dropping out.

Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, Chairman of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), proposed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approach to address the crisis. “The number of students grows every year, but facilities don’t. The government must collaborate with private developers to ensure affordable housing,” he said.

The Federal Ministry of Education confirmed that it is pursuing partnerships with private investors to expand hostel infrastructure nationwide.

“The PPP model is already being implemented with various institutions,” said Folasade Boriowo, the ministry’s Director of Press. “It ensures sustainable investment in student housing while reducing the financial burden on government.”