The Federal Government is working on a policy to reduce the share of income Nigerian workers spend on rent, with the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, saying employees should no longer have to commit 40 to 60 percent of their salaries to housing.
Darma made the disclosure in Abuja while commending the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for supporting affordable housing access for its workers the same event at which 430 NMDPRA staff received housing allocations under the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme.
Darma tied the housing cost burden directly to the government's broader anti-corruption efforts. He argued that when workers spend a large share of their legitimate income on rent, they are left with too little for other essentials, food, children's education, healthcare, creating pressure that can push some toward alternative, illegitimate sources of income.
"One important dimension is that people with families, if they tend to spend their own income, their own legitimate income on rent, then they will have to source other means of getting some money to do other things to take care of their families, their schooling, and the rest. And that is an impetus to corruption," Darma said.
"We are going to ensure that in this country, workers do not spend 40 to 60 per cent of their income on rent."
The commitment follows other recent statements from the ministry. Darma has separately said Nigeria has roughly 110 million unhoused people, requiring an estimated 16 million additional housing units to close the gap, and the ministry has identified close to 250,000 abandoned housing units nationwide , some dating back several administrations, as a potential source of additional supply, with the government reportedly engaging state governors on taking over some of these projects.
What it means for you
No implementation mechanism, timeline, or enforcement method has been announced yet, this is a stated policy direction, not a rule currently in force. Renters and landlords should not expect rent caps to apply immediately, and tenants should continue negotiating and documenting lease terms as they normally would. If a cap or formal framework is eventually introduced, REMCAN will cover the specifics once an actual policy document — rather than a ministerial statement — is published.