Big cities worldwide are grappling with a silent crisis: soaring housing costs are making homeownership an insurmountable challenge for millions, particularly young people just starting their careers, turning a basic need into a struggle for survival.
It is a social and very real problem. It decides where folks can make their home. It impacts their job choices completely. Whether they can even dream of a steady future is hard. Jeremiah Achimugu provides one example we can see.
He like many Nigerians left Sokoto State. He graduated in 2019 then moved. Opportunities in Abuja, the capital city, called him. His first salary was 120,000 naira monthly. That is about 73 US dollars at that time. It seemed a starting point for him then.
City life reality quickly hit him hard. The cost of living in Abuja ate deep into his pay. He said he was always broke every month. Basic costs like travel and food took his money. Finding independent living dashed his hopes.
Apartment hunting reveals a shocking reality where even modest, basic living spaces demand exorbitant prices, with a small one-room flat located far from the city center costing an astonishing 500,000 naira annually, a sum that looms large against Jeremiah’s yearly income of 1,440,000 naira.
This rent alone would take over third his income. It left no room for first payments or food needs. Transportation costs also needed paying each month. He said there was no way he could afford that. The apartment quality offered was very poor for him.
This stark financial reality forced Jeremiah to make a difficult decision, leading him to abandon his job and return to Sokoto, a move that underscores the dashed hopes of many young Africans who aspire to build a better life in capital cities, only to be thwarted by the relentless rise in living costs.
He voiced frustration many people feel now. City living cost and rent are too high for young people. But these are exactly where chances exist. Some landlords take advantage of newcomers he thinks. They raise the rent high for them.
Jeremiah Achimugu story is common here. It reflects a wider crisis sweeping Africa now. Nigeria has 63 percent population under age 24. This makes pressure points clear for everyone. UN notes Nigeria’s city population grows fast.
The nation’s rapid population growth, expanding at nearly double the national average, has severely outpaced the construction of new housing, creating a significant shortage that relentlessly drives up property prices for everyone.
Major Nigerian cities have huge rent differences. Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt all vary greatly. Prices are overwhelmingly high compared average pay. Basic places cost around 400,000 naira yearly. That is about 246 US dollars annually.
Luxury homes can command an annual rent of 25 million naira, approximately $16,000 USD, while the monthly minimum wage remains a meager 70,000 naira, or about $43 USD, a sum that is frequently subject to delays or is not paid at all.
This stark disparity highlights the immense difficulty young people face in securing decent housing, leading to a pervasive sense of instability that hinders their ability to establish roots and cultivate meaningful social connections.
Young individuals across the continent, from Ghana and Kenya to South Africa and Nigeria, share similar stories of financial insecurity and the elusive dream of homeownership, as formal housing remains largely inaccessible, with experts noting that only the wealthiest 5 to 10 percent can afford it.
This leaves most living in informal areas. These places are often very crowded always. Structures are not built strong or safe. Essential services are severely lacking in them. Clean water is scarce there for residents.
Beyond the sheer cost, the lack of essential services like reliable electricity and proper sanitation facilities exacerbates the housing crisis, prompting experts to issue urgent warnings and call for increased investment in affordable housing solutions to prevent further hardship for young Africans.
Finding even a poor place will be hard always. Consequences go beyond one person struggling. Urban development could face hindrances here. Cycles of poverty and inequality might continue now. Kwantami Kwame in Kumasi, Ghana shared feelings.
He blamed capitalism and greedy owners for high rent. He shared his Accra experience recently. He was asked for two year rent upfront. It was 38,275 Ghanaian Cedis total. That is roughly 2,500 US dollars for flat.
It was a one-bedroom apartment in Accra then. He said it was not even up to standard. This big fee did not cover utilities either. Water, electricity, waste bills were extra costs. Kwame felt righteous indignation deeply now.
With the country’s minimum wage set at a mere 539.19 Ghanaian cedis (about $45 USD per month), governments bear a crucial responsibility to ensure affordable housing is available, especially in areas where job opportunities are concentrated, a sentiment echoed by Kwame who advocates for government intervention.
These systemic economic pressures directly translate into individual housing struggles, as financial instability in the rental market inevitably increases pressure on tenants and potentially diminishes investment in building quality; diverting public funds away from affordable housing initiatives further compounds the problem, necessitating a dual approach of supporting individuals and reforming the financial systems that govern housing availability and affordability for all.
