Nigeria’s economic crisis is hitting renters in Lagos hard as landlords pass down the costs of spiralling inflation — pushing residents further out, upending children’s education and adding to workers’ already infamous commutes.
With a population of more than 20 million, the country’s sprawling, ever-growing economic capital has for years struggled to keep up with housing demand, with some 3,000 people added to its population per day.
But government-led economic reforms, including the floating of the naira currency and the removal of a fuel subsidy, have sent a shock through the economy.
In a city that scions of oil wealth, a solid middle class, and millions of informal workers all call home, rents are spiking on both Lagos’ richer islands and the cheaper — mainland.
“I might just have to find a way to plead with my landlord,” said Yemisi Odusanya, a 40-year-old cookbook author and food blogger. (Channels)