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[OPINION] House Agents: The Bile Beneath The Roof

Published

3 weeks ago

September 17, 2025

By Israel Adebiyi

I had tried, for months, to keep this subject at arm’s length. After all, The Nation’s Pulse has, by tradition, stuck its gaze on the big picture of national polity. But last week, my colleague, Joseph Kanjo, the ever-blunt Ijaw man, reminded me with his usual candour: “Israel, forget it. This matter has swum into national waters. You’ve got to discuss it on air.” And so here we are.

From Lagos to Abuja, Port Harcourt to Benin, in every major Nigerian city, there exists a tribe of middlemen who have turned the simple act of finding a home into a nightmare theatre of deceit, extortion, and despair. They call themselves “agents.” But tenants, with good reason, now call them Shylocks.

Nigeria is living through one of its most pressing social problems, a housing deficit of over 20 million units. As urbanisation outpaces construction, the scramble for shelter has grown more desperate. The result? An inflated rental market where landlords demand one, sometimes two years’ rent upfront, and tenants are left calculating survival in instalments.

In this scarcity, agents found their goldmine. They became gatekeepers, the ones you must pass through before seeing the landlord, the ones who “hold the keys.” And, like Shakespeare’s Shylock demanding his pound of flesh, they squeeze tenants until every drop of naira is bled dry.

Take Chinyere, a young nurse in Abuja, who shared her ordeal with me. After months of searching, an agent finally led her to a one-bedroom apartment in Kubwa. The rent was ₦600,000. By itself, already steep. But then came the add-ons: 10% agency fee, 10% agreement fee, inspection fee, caution fee, and a mysterious ‘legal’ fee. By the time she finished calculating, her total outlay stood at ₦850,000 – nearly ₦250,000 more than the agreed rent. “When I asked what the ‘legal’ fee was for,” she said, “the agent laughed and said, ‘Madam, that one na normal. No legal o.”

Or consider Osatohamwen, a factory worker in Benin, who parted with ₦50,000 as “inspection and commitment” fee just to secure a viewing. The agent vanished, phone switched off, house nowhere to be found. Such stories abound, whispered in frustration and traded in bitterness by Nigerians across class divides.

What deepens the irony is that many of these agents take you to houses even they themselves would not live in. Dilapidated structures with cracked walls, leaking roofs, toilets that smell of neglect, and kitchens that could host cockroaches for dinner. Yet, they pitch them with salesmanship worthy of a Broadway stage: “Madam, this one na hot cake. If you no pay today, tomorrow e go don go.”

It is the cruelest part of the deception, dressing up misery as opportunity, knowing full well that desperation will silence protest.

The tragedy is not just that tenants are extorted. It is that housing, one of life’s most basic needs, has become a gamble. Instead of safety and stability, many Nigerians now associate house-hunting with anxiety, loss, and betrayal. Families uprooted because a landlord suddenly doubled rent. Students stranded because an agent promised a “self-contained” that turned out to be a room with shared facilities. Newlyweds spending their honeymoon nights on relatives’ sofas because the house they paid for was given to someone else with “better money.”

The bigger shame is that Nigeria’s regulators look the other way. The housing sector remains one of the most unregulated spaces in our economy. No clear codes for agents. No enforceable penalties for fraud. No safeguards for tenants. In the vacuum, chaos reigns and the Shylocks thrive.

The comparison is sobering: in developed countries, property agents are licensed, their fees capped, and their conduct regulated. Here, anyone with a key ring and a contact on WhatsApp can become an “agent.” And Nigerians, desperate for shelter, must play along.

Let’s be clear: agents are not the disease; they are the symptom. The disease is a deep housing crisis that leaves millions without roofs, and those with roofs perpetually at risk of eviction. The cost of cement rises, urban planning is chaotic, mortgages are inaccessible, and public housing is virtually non-existent. In such a system, desperation breeds exploitation, and agents merely mirror the larger dysfunction of the state.

But it need not be so. Shelter is not a luxury. It is a right. And like food and water, it must be treated as such. Nigeria must wake up to the urgency of reforming its housing sector by building more affordable homes, regulating agents, and protecting tenants from predatory practices.

Until then, the Nigerian tenant remains trapped between the landlord’s demands and the agent’s extortion, forever paying pounds of flesh in a market where survival is traded for profit.

So, when next you hear the phrase “house hunting,” don’t imagine a hopeful family searching for a new home. Picture, instead, a weary Nigerian, pockets drained, dignity bruised, whispering under their breath: What’s up with Shylock house agents?

News

Group Throws Weight Behind Benin Monarch’s Decision On Iyaloja

Published

1 hour ago

October 7, 2025

Editor

Group known as Edo Art and Cultural Heritage Institute (EACHI) has thrown its weight behind Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, on the royal father’s stance on the traditional leadership of markets in the Benin Kingdom.

A statement isdued by Okpioba Osaro Idemudia, on behalf of the group, said the “institute aligns with the Oba’s stance that the Iye-Eki is the only recognized traditional head of the markets, and we believe that this position should be respected and preserved in accordance with our cultural heritage.

“EACHI stands firm on the ground that the Iye-Eki holds a significant and revered position in the Benin Kingdom, serving as the main market traditional head. We believe that any attempts to impose external leadership structures that contradict our cultural norms and traditions would undermine the rich heritage of the Benin people.

“We are proud of our royal rather, for his unwavering commitment to upholding the cultural values and traditions of the Benin Kingdom.

“EACHI reassures the people of Edo State and the broader community that we will continue to support and promote the preservation of our rich cultural heritage.”

The group, while calling on Edo sons and daughters in home and in diaspora to “stand in unity to support our royal father Oba Ewuare II’s disapproval of IYALOJA,” commended
Edo market women for talking a bold stand against the imposition of IYALOJA

News

JUST IN: Tinubu’s Minister Resigns Amid Allegations

Published

2 hours ago

October 7, 2025

Editor

The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet amid controversies surrounding his academic records and allegations of certificate forgery.

Nnaji, who was appointed in August 2023, announced his resignation in a letter to the President on Tuesday, expressing appreciation for the opportunity to serve.

Confirming the development in a statement on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following some allegations against him. President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023.

“He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria. Nnaji said he has been a target of blackmail by political opponents. President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours.”

Nnaji’s resignation comes amid a lingering controversy over alleged certificate forgery and questions surrounding his academic qualifications from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Nnaji and the Enugu State Government had traded words over allegations that he presented forged certificates.

The dispute intensified after the Federal High Court in Enugu rejected Nnaji’s bid to stop the University of Nigeria from releasing his academic records.

The court had ruled that the institution was within its rights to release the minister’s academic details in response to a freedom of information request, a decision that fuelled further public scrutiny.

Nnaji, however, maintained that he was being blackmailed by political opponents determined to tarnish his reputation.

News

UNIBEN Bans Students’ Sign-out Celebration

Published

3 hours ago

October 7, 2025

Editor

The University of Benin (UNIBEN) has prohibited all forms of sign-out celebrations by graduating students.

The ban is contained in a circular by the university’s Registrar, Mr Ademola Bobola, on Tuesday in Benin.

In the circular addressed to members of the university community, the management warned that violators risk severe disciplinary actions, including rustication, expulsion, or withdrawal of certificate.

Bobola said the decision was reached at a meeting on Monday, where it reaffirmed an earlier resolution of the university’s Senate banning such activities on campus.

“The management declared that no sign-out celebration of any kind, including signing on T-shirts and playing of music, will be tolerated,” he said.

He stated that the university would not condone any form of disorderly conduct or unauthorised gathering during or after examinations.

“Indiscriminate parading around the campuses in any brand of vehicle will not be permitted,” the circular warned.

According to him, unauthorised vehicles will not be allowed into the campuses all through the last week of the second semester examination.

“The management also prohibited large gatherings around faculties, schools, or institutes after examinations.

“Photographers will not be permitted to put up photo stands or galleries for the purpose of such celebration,” he said.

He said the management equally cautioned parents and guardians of final-year students against visiting campus premises during the final days of examinations.

“Parents and guardians of final-year students are advised to stay away from the Faculty, School, or Institute premises, especially on the last day of examination,” he said.

Bobola emphasised that the university’s stance was aimed at maintaining order, discipline, and academic decorum on campus.

“Members of the university community are kindly invited to note the above position for strict compliance.

“Any violation will attract severe disciplinary sanctions, including withdrawal of certificate, rustication, and expulsion of violators,” he warned.