Union of tenants call for urgent end to housing crisis in Rivers

… as rent hikes push residents away from city centre

The International Union of Tenants (IUT), the global umbrella group for tenants, has urged the Rivers State Government to take practical steps to end the escalating rent crisis, particularly in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local government areas.

Marie Linder, President of the IUT, in a release to the international media community, described the situation in Rivers State as “a systemic failure.”

The IUT President urged the state government to immediately introduce measures to halt unlawful conversion of residential buildings; address excessive rent increases; and restore affordable housing supply through effective regulation.

Linder’s comments were in response to a letter by the National Union of Tenants of Nigeria (NUTN), Rivers State chapter, calling the attention of the state government to the need to intervene and curb the escalating rents in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor.

Ceaser Enwefah, Secretary of the NUTN Rivers chapter, had in the letter to the IUT lamented the “outrageous rent increase” in the two local government areas and its worsening impact on the socio-economic life of citizens, which he said is dominated by civil servants, company employees, self-employed persons, and retirees, adding that the situation had grown into a full-scale crisis.

Enwefah explained that the N70,000 minimum wage received by workers could no longer cater for their housing needs, adding that about 80 percent of the state’s urban residents—or about two million people, especially civil servants—spend over 150 percent of their incomes on house rent and are left with nothing to care for their families.

The IUT President said in response, “The situation described by our Nigerian member is deeply alarming. When tenants are forced to spend more than their entire income on rent, housing systems are no longer functioning. Housing must be treated as a human right, not a commodity.

“Authorities must act now to prevent unjustified rent increases, protect affordable housing, and ensure that urban development serves people, not profit,” she said.

Linder said housing is a fundamental human right that must be protected and enforced by the government.

She added, “Governments must ensure affordability, security of tenure, and protection against exploitation. Public authorities have a responsibility to prevent displacement and safeguard access to adequate housing for all.

“IUT therefore supports NUTN’s call for urgent government action, including introducing immediate measures to halt unlawful conversion of residential buildings into business premises, address excessive rent increases, and restore affordable housing supply through effective regulation,” she said.

The International Union of Tenants further urged the authorities in Rivers State and at the federal level to engage constructively with the National Union of Tenants of Nigeria and take swift, concrete steps to address the housing crisis.

Linder said, “At a time when housing affordability challenges are intensifying globally, the situation in Nigeria underscores the urgent need for policy frameworks that put people before profit and ensure that no tenant is left behind.

“IUT stands in solidarity with its Nigerian members and reaffirms its commitment to advancing tenant rights and housing justice worldwide,” she read.