By: Abdulrasheed Olokoto 

A complex mix of factors continue to drive students off-campus residential decisions. Chief among these are deteriorating hostel conditions, persistent power outages and unreliable water supply challenges.

Among those caught in this persistent yet unaddressed crisis is Omotayo Japheth, a 400-level Law student.

Japheth told IndyPress that he left his assigned hostel, Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall of Residence, in his second year and moved to a rented off-campus apartment in Agbowo, citing poor and deteriorating living conditions in the hall.

“I have been living off campus for over a year now. I left the school hostel because of its unconducive environment such as poor toilet facilities and power supply issue,”  Japheth told IndyPress.

Reflecting on his off-campus experience, Japheth explained that his expectations were quickly dashed, as his apartment, rented at N120,000 per year, was plagued by poor management.

“With the amount I paid, I didn’t expect the apartment to look that way. It is just a room. In some places, someone can use that same amount to get a better apartment,” he lamented.

He said his two-storey apartment has a nonfunctional water system, leaving tenants to share only two toilets, one on each floor.

“The place does not have a water outlet. Most of the time, we go to neighbouring houses to fetch water. But at times, when they deny us  water, we don’t have any option than to fetch well water at a distant place.”

“The apartment has just two toilets, one on each floor.Whereas, there are about 8 rooms on each floor. Assuming I had known that’s what we were going to be facing in that apartment, I wouldn’t have rented it,”  he added.

Adding to his off-campus plight is  erratic power supply, an experience he claimed to have put his academic endeavor at a detriment.

Despite the deplorable condition of his rented apartment, Japheth said his landlord still increased the house rent.

On the state of off-campus security, Japheth explained, “Another problem is insecurity. In fact, there was a particular time we heard a gun shot in the vicinity. And it would be advisable if the government can station police to manage the environment. The robbery is very rampant.”

Unlike Japheth, Fredrick Sunday, a 200-level student of Political Science, rented his off-campus apartment out of an immediate necessity. 

“I rented my apartment at ₦200,000. It’s a single room. If someone wants a self contained, he would have to budget 350,000 upward. But  I don’t have any other choice than to go for the formal due to financial constraint,” Sunday recounted. 

“When they came up with the online registration, I thought they would allocate a room to everyone before the resumption, but it was not so,” Sunday recounted.

“Currently, not all staylites have resumed because they have not gotten accommodation. Some of those that have resumed without accommodation, are keeping their loads with us at Agbowo, which was what I wanted to avoid. I cannot be carrying my loads up and down when I have not gotten room.”   

Another concern that has often been raised by students living Off-campus is their unsolicited extortion by the house agents.

Time and time again, house agents take undue advantage of students seeking off campus accommodations, especially those in dire need of them.

Recounting his experience with a house agent, Sunday said, “One thing that annoys me is the fact that these agents are targeting the students.

“They asked if I was a UI student and collected my ID card. Because they know a normal resident of Ibadan cannot pay such an amount of money.”

Delay in the accommodation process also forces some students to turn to off-campus accommodation. This was the case of Opiori Emmanuel, a 200-level student of Political Science.

Emmanuel  preferred to stay on campus but he had to settle at the Barika area after securing accommodation on campus seemed uncertain for him.

“Actually, I prefer the school hostel but it is always delayed,” Emmanuel told IndyPress.

Another student through an Whatsapp off-campus accommodation group shared his experience with securing accomodation while also noting the various challenges that comes with it.

Through the lens of a House Agent

Oladokun Enock, a 500-level law student and the CEO of Light Real Estate and Properties, maintained that not all agents extort students.

“There is no profession in the world that is devoid of extortioners. Even among religious leaders where we expect a high integrity and moral standard, there are black sheep,” Oladokun told IndyPress.

According to Mr Enoch, many factors come into play when it comes to renting an apartment. “First of all, we are not the primary determinant of the rent; we are just  like a marketer. The owner of the house determines the rent, so also the current economic reality, the state or condition of the house, the environment, etc.

“What determines the agent fee is the rent. For instance, if the rent is ₦200,000, the agency fee is 10 percent; that is ₦20,000.”

On whether there are regulations for agents, he  explained, “Yes, but you know the reality of things in Nigeria. The laws are on paper, the application is very weak. What we need now is enforcement of the law.”

‘Team Diligent’ Speaks

The University of Ibadan Students’ Union President, Adeboye Temidayo Sewanu, in his Inaugural speech on February 5, 2026, stressed the challenges facing UI Off-campus students, calling on the Oyo State government for intervention 

“We respectfully request government intervention through the regulation of agent fees by establishing a government-approved percentage, to protect students from fraud and excessive charges,” he pleaded.

In an interview with IndyPress, the Students’ President, Deboye Temidayo, disclosed that there is an ongoing synergy aimed at curbing incessant extortion of students by house between the Union and the Oyo State Speaker.

“Agent extortion is something that, personally as the Union president, I don’t take lightly. This is a student environment, and it is not possible that we won’t have students staying off-campus,” Deboye told IndyPress.

“We extended a relationship conversation with the Honourable Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly. This is because there is currently a bill before the House to ensure that the agents have a regulated fee for accommodation.”

“And there is progress, they have constituted a Committee; in fact, I also wanted to be incorporated into that Committee. Of course, it is only members of the House that can be on that Committee, but as the representative of the students populace, I can be co-opted. It is not done yet, but it is something we are pushing.”

Speaking on the security architecture of the off-campus communities, Deboye Temidayo reiterated, “The Students’ Union puts a high esteem to students safety and security. On campus, as of last week, we inaugurated the Campus Defendants. We also visited the CSO of the Security Unit (Abefele).

“We also ensured the availability of Security Guards at different areas on campus. As for off-campus safety, we respond to emergencies from off campus.

“For security, we had various meetings with the leaders of Amotekun, and the DPO of Sango Police Division, and we will be having follow up meetings subsequently to ensure that their guards are fixed around.”

“Though they are staying at junctions of different areas, we are working on how we can expand it to inside the communities.”

In his charge to the off-campus students, he said,”Students have to inspect the apartments they want to rent.”

“If they cannot do it by themselves, there is a Unit at the Students Affairs Division, the University Students Lodging Bureau, who sees to that. We cannot tell the landlords to rebuild the houses, but we can restrict our students from the risks.”

It is very pertinent that issues affecting students residing off-campus are treated with all sense of urgency they deserve. The Students’ Union leadership led by Deboye Temidayo and Oludele John as the President and Speaker receptively must see to the plight of this community.

Moreso, the University should build more public hostels to adequately provide the student populace with its residential needs.

Image Credit: HandsomeBoy