70% of students shun campus hostels over poor conditions

Operators in the building sector have said the poor condition of campus hostels is pushing nearly 70 per cent of students toward private and off-campus accommodation options.

Partner & West Africa Tax Leader at Deloitte, Yomi Olugbenro, revealed this at the 2025 Mandatory Continuing Professional Development programme, themed “Navigating Emerging Legal and Financial Reforms: Opportunities and Implications for Estate Surveyors and Valuers in Nigeria”, organised by the Lagos State Branch of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers.

He said, “It is estimated that more than 70 per cent of higher education students seek alternative accommodation due to poor campus hostels. More than 15 million higher education students in Nigeria are expected to mature into a dedicated asset class.”

In an exclusive interview with The Punch, a real estate consultant, Ajekiigbe Josiah, said it was no secret that many school-owned hostels were outdated.

He said, “It is no secret that many school-owned hostels are outdated, and even those that are recently built or renovated often fail to receive proper maintenance. While attention is often focused on administrative tasks such as room allocation or porter duties, little effort is placed on proper facility management. Without consistent upkeep, even new hostels can quickly deteriorate, compromising the quality of student life.

“Poor facility management manifests in multiple ways. Sanitary areas such as toilets are often neglected, water supply can be unreliable, and overcrowding remains a persistent problem. In addition, inadequate security measures leave students vulnerable, creating an environment that is uncomfortable and unsafe. These conditions make it difficult for students to focus on their studies or feel at home on campus. As a result, many students increasingly seek private alternatives. Private hostel investors often provide superior services, prioritising cleanliness, security, and prompt maintenance. By addressing the very issues that plague school-owned hostels, these private options offer a more comfortable and reliable living experience, even if it comes at a higher cost.

“This trend highlights a fundamental gap in the management of public student accommodation. Schools risk losing relevance in student housing unless they invest in proper facility management, regular maintenance, and security enhancements. Without such interventions, private hostels will continue to dominate, leaving school-owned hostels underutilised despite their potential advantages.”

Corroborating the above, an estate surveyor, Olorunyomi Alatise, stated that the issue stems from poor maintenance, inadequate provision, and the limited capacity of campus hostels, which leave students with little choice but to seek alternative accommodations.

He said, “It’s quite alarming that the accommodations provided on campus are often insufficient for students. Even when accommodations exist, many are poorly maintained and in a state unfit for comfortable living. I recall my own experience in school: I was assigned a room in one of the so-called “prestigious” hostels, not prestigious because it was comfortable or well-kept, but rather for its notoriety of neglect and decay. I couldn’t stay there and had no choice but to look for alternatives off-campus.

“The problem is that as more students seek housing elsewhere, demand for off-campus accommodations rises, driving rents to exorbitant levels. I once conducted a valuation in Kwara State and observed this firsthand: properties located near schools command significantly higher rents, sometimes double, compared to similar properties farther away.

“The root cause is clear: poor maintenance, inadequate provision, and insufficient capacity of campus hostels leave students with little choice but to seek alternatives. As a result, more than half of students end up living off-campus, often paying far more than they should. The lack of adequate, well-maintained campus housing has a direct impact on students’ financial burdens and overall well-being.”

Meanwhile, an architect, Olusola Amusan, said students increasingly turn to off-campus or private hostels because limited campus spaces, overcrowding, hygiene concerns, and a desire for comfort, privacy, and better learning environments push them to seek more suitable alternatives despite higher costs.

He said, “My recent discussion with Adeniyi Giwa and Esemjay Jonathan has made me realise some of the main reasons why students look for viable alternatives to living in hostels on campus. These reasons would vary based on personal preferences applicable to each student. This would range from availability of hostel accommodations, affordability, health & comfort and need for privacy.

“The University of Lagos, for instance, makes use of a ballot system to provide hostel accommodations for students in their hostel on campus. Though the cost of securing such is subsidised and very affordable, the number of occupants in a room would be a minimum of eight persons, as many times, students take the liberty to squat with their friends in the same room from time to time, thereby resulting in overcrowding, pollution and poor hygiene. Moreover, these hostels often have a common toilet and bath for the rooms, thereby resulting in an unhygienic experience most time. These hostel accommodations can be as cheap as N65,000 per academic year.

“There are some that see this situation as not conducive enough for their wards, and so they would rather go an extra mile of paying even more to secure better accommodation with the privately owned hostels on campus. These ones, though they can be expensive, guarantee a more decent living environment for the students. A room with its private toilet and bath, including a laundry spot, is designed exclusively for four students. In some cases, there is availability of social amenities like communal spaces, a good water supply, a well-landscaped environment, good security and free wifi for their welfare.

“Another advantage of these private hostels is their proximity to social activities within campus and ease of accessibility to the lecture halls, in addition to all. Lastly, some students are also forced to leave the school premises for hostel accommodations off-campus because of the need for privacy, which is essential to the nature of their course of study. The creative ones, for example, would rather rent their hostel accommodations in a very serene environment, which is void of frequent intrusion by regular student life on campus in order to aid their meditation and productivity.”