The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Osun State Chapter, has expressed deep concern over the alarming rise in cases of landlord and house agent extortion across Osun State, particularly within the University of Ilesa and its surrounding communities, describing the situation as an assault on the dignity of students, tenants, and the collective progress of Ijesaland and Osun State as a whole.
The Council, under the leadership of Comrade Akinbode Olakolupo Oluwasegun (Omoakin), has declared its full and unwavering support for the Ijesa Youth Forum (IYF), which recently raised an outcry over the unbearable housing crisis facing students and residents in the University of Ilesa campus axis.
The NYCN noted that the current situation in Ilesa reflects a larger pattern of unregulated rent exploitation spreading across the state. What started as isolated cases in Osogbo has now evolved into a statewide problem, driven by unlicensed agents, greedy landlords, and the absence of an effective monitoring and enforcement framework in the housing sector.
In Ilesa, the crisis has reached a critical point. In major areas around the University such as Ido, Imola, Arimoro, Ajibade, Campus Area, Obeta, and Isua, the cost of accommodation has become unbearable for students and young tenants. Single-room apartments that previously rented for ₦30,000–₦50,000 annually now go for as high as ₦150,000–₦200,000, while self-contained rooms are priced between ₦400,000–500,000. In some extreme cases, a room and parlour apartment with minimal finishing costs up to ₦1 million per annum. Disturbingly, many of these houses are in poor and unsafe conditions, with cracked walls, leaking roofs, and inadequate facilities, yet tenants—particularly students—are forced to pay exorbitant rates just to live close to campus.
Some students have been compelled to relocate to distant communities such as Ibodi and Isua, spending large portions of their income on daily transportation, while others have resorted to sharing single rooms in unsafe living conditions. The situation, according to the NYCN, is not just exploitative but inhumane, and if not urgently addressed, may trigger social unrest.
The NYCN Osun State Chapter has therefore called on the Osun State House of Assembly to debate, refine, and pass the House Agent Regulation Bill, which seeks to establish clear operational standards for housing agents, define acceptable agency fees, and create a registration and enforcement framework that ensures fairness in the housing sector. The Council emphasized that other states such as Enugu, Cross Rivers, and Lagos have already enacted similar laws to protect both landlords and tenants, urging Osun to act swiftly to prevent further exploitation.
The NYCN commended Prince Adebusuyi Tobiloba Adeleye, National President of the Ijesa Youth Forum (IYF), for his courage and leadership in voicing the concerns of the affected students, and reiterated that youth advocacy must remain a voice for justice and reform.
In addition, the Council called on all elected legislators from Ijesaland — both at the state and national levels — to urgently initiate policy measures or legislative interventions that will regulate rent charges and housing practices in university communities.
The Council further appealed call on all relevant government agencies, including the Osun State Ministry of Lands and Housing and the Ministry of Youth Affairs to establish a licensing body for estate agents, enforce standardized agency fees, and create a Tenant Grievance Desk to address housing complaints.
The Council affirmed that the youth constituency will not tolerate any practice that endangers education, increases poverty, or undermines community harmony, particularly within academic environments.
“We call for a moral and social awakening in Ijesaland. Development must be people-centered, not profit-driven. Let us prioritize compassion over commerce and community growth over greed,” Comrade Akinbode concluded.
The Council also urged the University of Ilesa management, led by Prof. Taiwo Asaolu, to work closely with community leaders and landlords to establish a rent regulation partnership that guarantees affordability for students. The Osun State Ministry of Youth Affairs was urged to collaborate with the NYCN to sensitize young people about their rights as tenants and to educate agents and landlords on ethical practices in property management. It further recommended that the Ministry of Lands and Housing begin immediate registration and certification of all house agents and caretakers operating across the state.
The Council issued a stern warning to unregistered agents and landlords who exploit tenants, stressing that their actions are detrimental to social stability and community peace. The statement noted that if the extortion continues unchecked, the state risks witnessing protests and unrest similar to those experienced elsewhere in the country. The NYCN reiterated that development cannot thrive in an environment where exploitation and greed are normalized. “Landlords and agents who profit from the hardship of young people are not contributors to development—they are enemies of progress,” Comrade Akinbode declared. “Housing is not a luxury; it is a basic right, and every individual deserves fair and affordable access to shelter.”
The Council reaffirmed its commitment to justice, fairness, and the protection of all young people in Osun State. It pledged continued advocacy for government accountability and comprehensive reform in the real estate sector, insisting that the aim is not to witch-hunt but to restore balance, compassion, and integrity to the housing system. “Our demand is simple: regulate, not persecute. Let us restore decency, fairness, and accountability to the housing sector,” the statement concluded. “We will continue to speak, act, and stand with every student, worker, and family struggling under the burden of exploitation until the law protects them.”
Signed,
Comrade Akinbode Olakolupo Oluwasegun (Omoakin)
Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Osun State Chapter
CC:
H.E, Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke
Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly
His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III, Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland
Hon. Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Osun State
Hon. Commissioner for Youth Affairs
Chairman, House Commiittee on Youth, Sports, and Special Needs
Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilesa
Ijesa Youth Forum (IYF)
Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers
Ijesa Elders Forum
Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Council
Civil Society and Youth-Based Organizations