High Rent: Doherty Faults Hamzat’s Advice to Lagos Youth
Reactions have continued to trail the advice by Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, that young workers struggling with high rent should consider living with their parents or relatives. Hamzat gave the advice during an interview on Nigeria Info FM while responding to concerns about how a 22-year-old earning ₦100,000 monthly could afford accommodation costing about ₦1 million annually. He advised young workers to live within their means, consider staying with parents or relatives, or share accommodation until their income improves. Hamzat also warned against spending more than 40 per cent of one’s income on rent, noting that residents still have to provide for food, clothing and transportation. He advocated mortgage financing as a long-term solution to the housing crisis, saying residents should be able to spread the cost of home ownership rather than pay the full amount upfront. However, some young residents criticised the advice, arguing that many had already left their parents’ homes, built independent lives and taken on responsibilities, including supporting family members.
The NDC governorship candidate in Lagos, Funsho Doherty, faulted Hamzat’s position, describing it as evidence of what he called the government’s disconnect from the hardship faced by Lagos residents. Doherty blamed successive APC administrations for what he described as failures in housing policies over the past three decades and questioned how the government could address the crisis without understanding the realities of residents. However, human rights activist Comrade Nelson Ekujumi defended Hamzat, describing the advice as an uncomfortable but practical response to the rising cost of accommodation. Ekujumi argued that anyone unable to afford their preferred rent could temporarily live with parents or relatives until they became financially stable, stressing that Hamzat had not suggested that anyone should live under the bridge. The controversy has renewed debate over Lagos’ housing crisis, rising rents and the difficulty faced by low- and middle-income workers. While opinions remain divided over Hamzat’s advice, the growing cost of accommodation continues to fuel calls for sustainable housing policies that can provide affordable and decent homes for Lagos residents.
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