Residents of Sokoto State have raised alarm over rising house rents, saying the trend is delaying marriages and increasing social anxiety among young people.
Findings by Daily Trust indicate that the housing crisis has pushed rents beyond the reach of many intending couples, making accommodation a major obstacle to marriage in the predominantly Muslim state.
For months, social media has been flooded with appeals from young women lamenting that although they are ready for marriage, their suitors cannot afford rent.
“We want to marry, but our men simply cannot afford rent,” a young woman, who spoke anonymously, said.
An estate agent, Alhaji Murtala Falke, said even the cheapest accommodation is no longer affordable.
“A single room now costs about N300,000 per year, while self-contained apartments go for N400,000 and above. Two-bedroom flats cost between N1.5 million and N2 million annually,” he said.
Falke added that many houses remain empty because landlords insist on rents of up to N3 million per year.
“I have almost 50 clients, mostly intending grooms, searching for houses, but there is simply nothing available,” he said.
The Director-General of the Sokoto State Hisbah Commission, Malam Nura Attahiru, said the crisis had personally affected him.
“I have two children ready for marriage, but I could not secure accommodation for them, despite paying over N1.3 million per house,” he said.
Another estate agent, Alhaji Ahmed Falke, blamed the situation on rising building costs and reduced construction of residential houses.
“A bag of cement now sells for about N9,000, and a plot of land that used to cost N3 million now goes for over N12 million,” he said.
An Islamic scholar, Sheikh Isa Talatan Mafara, warned that delayed marriages could harm societal morals, urging governments to prioritise affordable housing.
Reacting, the Sokoto State Government said it is constructing over 1,000 housing units, while the Federal Government is building 250 units in the state under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, residents have urged transparency in allocation, warning against political elites taking over the houses meant for low-income earners.
