IYF President blasts Landlords, Calls for Urgent Action.
The cost of accommodation around the University of Ilesa, Osun State, has reached an alarming level, sparking frustration among students, parents, and concerned residents.
Many have called for urgent intervention from the school management, community elders, and traditional authorities in Ijesaland.
A recent visit by Ijesa News to areas around the university, including Ido-Ijesa, Arimoro, Imola, Isua, and Ajibade, revealed that rent prices have risen dramatically.
Single-room apartments now range between ₦150,000 and ₦200,000, while self-contained rooms are priced at ₦400,000 to ₦600,000 per year.
In some locations, rents are reportedly as high as ₦650,000 due to extra amenities such as POP ceilings, water tanks, tiled floors among others.
A concerned Ilesa resident Mr. Sunday Michael who spoke with our reporter described the situation as both exploitative and insensitive.
“Rent in the school area has become excessively high. In places like Ido-Ijesa, Arimoro, Imola, Isua — a single room where tenants still share toilet and kitchen now goes for ₦150,000 to ₦200,000,” he said.
“A self-contained apartment that used to be ₦120,000 now costs between ₦400,000 and ₦600,000. The justification is often that the building is painted or has POP ceilings and water tanks. But how does that make sense for students who are just trying to get education?”
Mr. Michael added that the absence of a student union has made matters worse. “You know this school was just upgraded from a college of education to a university. They said it will take at least five years before a proper student union can be formed. That means there is currently no organized body to speak for the students. So landlords and agents are also using that gap to exploit them.”
“The school hostel itself charges ₦200,000 per bunk. There are four bunks in a room, which means ₦800,000 per room for just four students. How can private landlords not take advantage of that kind of pricing? Some agents even collect as much as ₦100,000 as ‘agent fee’ after rent. It’s simply too much.”
According to him, this situation has left many students stranded. “If a parent pays school fees and their child now needs ₦500,000 for rent, how will they survive in this economy? It’s a sad reality.
A student from the Faculty of Arts, Odebunmi Adeola, also shared her experience as an off-campus student saying “My rent for a self-contained apartment is ₦360,000 per year. It covers water, light, and security, but it’s still very high,” she said.
“Around the school area, it’s even worse. We hear about ₦450,000, ₦500,000, and ₦600,000 rents for single rooms. For freshers, this is too much. They have to pay school fees, buy food, and meet other needs. Many of us are struggling.”
Adeola attributed the rent hike to the growing number of students. “The school is admitting a lot of students because it’s new and everyone wants to come here. But the available houses are not enough. That’s why landlords and agents are exploiting the situation. The university should urgently build more hostels. If there are enough hostels, landlords will be forced to reduce their prices.”
In the opinion of a Nursing student in the Faculty of Science, Oni Ayomide, she pays ₦450,000 for her apartment.
“My self-contained apartment costs ₦450,000 because it has water, electricity, solar power, and sometimes internet access. I was told next year the rent might reduce to ₦320,000, but that’s still expensive,” she said.
“The problem is that the number of students looking for accommodation is far greater than the houses available. Landlords and agents are simply using the opportunity to inflate prices. Overpopulation is the major cause of the rent crisis.”
She appealed to relevant stakeholders for a solution.
“The school management, state government and Ijesa community leaders should work together to make more hostels available. If this continues, many students will drop out or face unnecessary hardship.”
In a letter dated November 3, 2025, and titled “A Humble Appeal for Intervention in the Rising Cost of Accommodation in Ijesaland,” a concerned youth, Damola, called on His Imperial Majesty, Owa Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III, and Ijesa elders to take immediate action.
“The presence of the University of Ilesa is a blessing to Ijesaland, but it has unfortunately triggered an unbearable rise in accommodation costs,” the letter read.
“In communities such as Ido-Ijesa, Imola, Isua, and Ibodi, rents have reached between ₦200,000 and ₦500,000. A single room is now advertised for ₦150,000, excluding additional agent fees.”
Damola emphasized that the situation is becoming unsustainable for average families. “With the national minimum wage at ₦77,000, it is unreasonable for accommodation alone to cost three times that amount. Many parents now borrow loans just to secure shelter for their children. We appeal to Kabiyesi and the elders to help regulate rent and protect residents and students.”
Also Reacting to the development, the National President of the Ijesa Youth Forum (IYF), Prince Adebusuyi Tobiloba Adeleye, who condemned landlords and agents who inflate accommodation prices said “Those who inflate accommodation prices beyond reason, extort students with inhumane inspection fees, and treat the children of Ijesa and non-Ijesa parents as cash cows are enemies of Ijesaland’s progress,” he declared.
Prince Adeleye described the practice as a betrayal of Ijesa’s communal values. “You cannot claim to love Ijesaland and at the same time contribute to the oppression of its youths. Development is not achieved when you impoverish students; it is achieved when you support them to succeed,” he said.
He called for the immediate establishment of a Rent Regulation Council for Ijesaland, which would ensure fairness in accommodation pricing and eliminate exploitation.
“The University of Ilesa should be our shared pride, not a profit-making venture that drives students into hardship and despair. I call on the University management, traditional rulers, Ijesa Elders Forum, Ijesa Development Council (IDC), Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA), and relevant agencies to step in and take decisive action,” he added.
Prince Adeleye further urged Ijesa political representatives to stand with the people saying “Your silence in the face of this suffering is a betrayal of your oath to serve. Stand with the students, not with those exploiting them,” he said. “We must remain vocal and vigilant. The Ijesa dream cannot be built on greed. Let’s create an Ijesaland where education is celebrated, not punished.”
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