“You want us to start doing illegal things” – Lady cries out over shocking ₦1.7 million rent hike in one year
A Nigerian lady has sparked reactions online after crying out over a fresh rent increase imposed by her Lagos landlord, barely one year after the previous hike.
According to her, the landlord raised her rent by ₦700,000 in 2025. Now, in January 2026, he has increased it again, this time by a staggering ₦1.7 million.
Expressing her frustration in a viral video, she said the constant increments are becoming unbearable.
In her words, she said:
“Last year, he increased it by ₦700,000. This year January, he has increased the rent again by ₦1.7 million. Imagine…”
Visibly upset, she questioned how ordinary Nigerians, whether salary earners working regular 9 to 5 jobs or small business owners, are expected to cope with such steep increases amid the rising cost of living.
She stressed that other daily expenses are already skyrocketing, the financial pressure is becoming overwhelming for many households.
“You can’t tell me that you expect someone that works a regular 9am to 5pm in Nigeria, or someone that runs a business in Nigeria, to be paying all these ridiculous amounts of money. It is not possible.
You want us to do illegal activities because that is the only way we can pay these amounts of money,” she added.
Her comments have since generated mixed reactions on social media.
One user wrote, “This is exactly why people feel forced to find shortcuts.” Another added, “Imagine working a 9 to 5 and still struggling to afford your home. It’s so unfair.”
Watch video below…
“My landlord has increased the rent again. Last year it went up to ₦700k, and now it’s ₦1.7 million. How is someone working a 9–5 job supposed to afford that? And on top of that, we’re now expected to start paying taxes too.”
— Lady cries out. pic.twitter.com/HqQqCyaU0g
— 𝐀𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐲𝐆𝐑𝐍 (@AsakyGRN) February 22, 2026
