FCT Rent Crisis: Indigenous Youths Demand Tenant Protection Laws

Indigenous youths in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called for urgent legislative measures to protect tenants from arbitrary rent increases and other practices worsening the housing crisis in Abuja.

The Abuja Original Inhabitants Youths Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO) said the rising cost of accommodation had become one of the biggest challenges confronting residents, particularly youths, workers and low-income families.

The executive director of AOIYEO and supreme leader of FCT Youths, Commandant Isaac David, made the call on Monday at a press briefing in Abuja, where he linked the worsening housing crisis to rising living costs, inadequate employment opportunities and stagnant incomes.

David said many residents were now struggling to keep pace with rent increases as their earnings failed to rise at the same rate.

“House rent in the Federal Capital Territory is one of the biggest challenges our people are facing today. Every day, rent is increasing. Yet jobs are not there, and salaries are not enough for people to afford decent rent and live in a comfortable environment as we wish,” he said.

He stressed that the crisis was no longer limited to low-income earners, noting that workers and young people with regular incomes were also finding it increasingly difficult to meet their housing obligations.

“This is a serious burden on families, workers and youths. People work, earn salaries and still struggle to provide a roof over their heads because what they earn is not enough to cope with the rising cost of rent,” he said.

The youth leader called for the development of laws and policies that would provide greater protection for tenants and promote affordable accommodation across the nation’s capital.

David also renewed the call for greater legislative representation for residents of the FCT, arguing that the absence of a State House of Assembly had limited the territory’s ability to make laws specifically addressing issues affecting its residents.

“Part of this problem is the lack of a State House of Assembly in the FCT. If we had our own State Assembly, it would be their responsibility to make laws that protect tenants, regulate rent and ensure the comfort and welfare of citizens,” he said.

According to him, residents need stronger institutional representation on issues directly affecting their daily lives, including housing, transportation and other basic necessities.

“The people of the FCT need a stronger voice on matters that affect their daily lives. Housing is not a luxury. It is a basic need, and the people must have laws that protect them from situations that make decent accommodation beyond their reach,” David said.

He called for rent regulation to be incorporated into broader efforts to reduce the cost of living in the FCT, particularly for young Nigerians relocating to Abuja in search of jobs and better opportunities.

“You cannot talk about the welfare of youths without talking about accommodation. A young person who gets a job in Abuja must still pay rent, transport himself to work and take care of other basic needs. When rent keeps increasing, the pressure becomes unbearable,” he said.

David also urged the government to expand affordable housing schemes across the FCT, saying housing policies must reflect the economic realities of ordinary residents.

“We need housing that ordinary workers, young people and families can afford. Abuja is the capital of Nigeria, but it must also be a city where ordinary Nigerians can live with dignity,” he added.

He maintained that the campaign for greater representation of FCT residents would continue, stressing that indigenous youths would persist in demanding structures that would give residents a stronger voice in decisions affecting their welfare.

“We will continue to push. One day, victory will be ours. We will not stop demanding what belongs to our people,” he declared.

The AOIYEO leader also urged youths and other FCT residents to remain united in demanding policies that address their economic and social challenges.

“Everything we are asking for is about the people. We want a system where the welfare of the people comes first,” he said.

The demand comes amid growing concerns over the affordability of accommodation in Abuja, with residents in several districts and satellite settlements contending with high rents alongside rising transportation and other living costs.

The rising cost of accommodation has also forced some workers and young residents to move farther from the city centre in search of relatively cheaper housing, increasing their daily transportation burden.

David said the development of Abuja should not be assessed solely through infrastructure projects, but also by whether ordinary residents could afford basic necessities, including housing.

“Development is not only about constructing roads and buildings. Development must also mean that the people living here can afford to survive. If people cannot afford a house, then we must ask ourselves who the city is being developed for?” he queried.

He urged relevant authorities and policymakers to prioritise affordable housing, strengthen tenant protection and address the broader economic pressures fuelling the housing crisis in the FCT.