The spike in rent in the nation’s capital city, Abuja is worrisome as it has made the affordability of decent housing more difficult for low and middle income earners.
According to a recent report, rent in some areas of the Federal Capital Territory FCT has jumped as high as 35% with experts citing macroeconomic variables such as inflation, foreign exchange rate, high cost of building materials, insecurity amongst others as the factors responsible for the price hike.
However, despite the high rent, there are still places in the FCT where people can find very decent one-bedroom apartment for less than N1 million in a year.
In this article, we’ve profiled and ranked places where one-bedroom apartment annual rental costs are still under one million naira, along with what makes those places desirable for young renters.
In order to rank these locations, we used a variety of metrics, including infrastructure, average rental price, availability of power supply, proximity to CBDs, and overall security/neighbourhood serenity.
Lokogoma
Lokogoma is a residential area which started when the government wanted to create more lands for people seeking accommodation outside the Central Business District.
It has undergone a lot of development since then and is loaded with residential estates and stand-alone houses with good relaxation spots, malls, eateries, sit-outs etc.
There is stable power supply and it is generally a secured area. It is also only less than 30 minutes drive from the CBDs.
The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in this area is between N700,000-N800,000.
Gudu District
Gudu is an established district in phase 2 of Abuja city. It is also sometimes known as Apo-Gudu.
The district occupies a strategic location just outside Abuja’s city centre. Gudu is residential but has quite an extensive commercial part to it although it is well-populated.
There are plenty of opportunities for recreation and relaxation in the neighborhood. You will find bars, eateries and clubs scattered across the district as well as parks, hotels and schools.
Depending on the house and landlord, you will also find a one-bedroom apartment in this area within the range of N700,000- N800,000 on the average.
Garki
The Garki district is a busy, densely built up Abuja neighborhood that lies directly to the south of the city centre. The area is highly developed as a result of its presence in phase 1 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
The Garki neighborhood has both commercial and residential part, it is one of Abuja’s principle commercial centres.
Several commercial organizations including financial institutions and governmental agencies have offices located in the area.
Due to the commercial nature of Garki, rent can be pricey but a prospective tenant can still on the average get a one-bedroom apartment for N1 million or less depending on the building owner.
Lugbe
Lugbe, to the south west of the city centre, is one of the more affordable districts in Abuja. The need for better planned housing in the city, led to this district being absorbed into a newly created phase 5 of the Federal Capital City (FCC) Abuja.
Several learning, social and business activities take place in and around Lugbe. These activities have risen in line with the growing population of the neighborhood.
A prospective tenant can get a decent one-bedroom apartment between N600,000-700,000 in Lugbe.
Kubwa
Kubwa is an affordable suburb that occupies a strategic location in the (FCT). It is located to the north west of the FCC under the Bwari Local Government Area administration.
The increasing population of the district has created demand for more goods and services. A mixture of banks, shops, markets and schools contribute to the neighborhood’s daily commercial, educational and social activities.
As a result the district can be said to have more of an independent economy from the actual FCC.
Being located just outside the FCT, rent is a bit more affordable and a decent one-bedroom apartment would go for N400,000- N500,000. However, commute to work in the FCT can be a little cumbersome.
Guzape (Asokoro Extension)
Guzape (Asokoro Extension) is the only developing district in phase 1 of FCT. The district has a unique topography, with the land being quite green and hilly in nature. This factor has contributed to the relatively late development of the area.
Although the neighborhood is not extensively commercial, there are enough social amenities in and around Guzape to keep residents busy. Several eateries, bars, shops and markets have sprung up in recent times in keeping with the demand.
One-bedroom apartment in this district goes for within N600,000 to N700,000.
Apo Duste and Resettlement
Apo Dutse is a rapidly developing district located to the south of city centre. The district has seen considerable investment in recent times. A number of housing estates have been built and more are under development.
The Apo Dutse neighborhood is peaceful with decent infrastructure and basic public services. It is mainly a residential neighborhood however there are commercial spaces in nearby bordering areas.
There are enough social amenities in the vicinity to satisfy the needs of residents.
Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in this area will be between N700,000 to N900,000.
It is important to note that agency, legal and caution fees are not included in the prices stated in this article as they are flexible and determined by the bargaining power of the parties involved.
However, the rule of thumb in the FCT is that agency fee is between 5-10% of annual rent amount, Legal 5% of annual rent amount while the caution is arbitrarily determined by the landlord or building management.
