After uni in 2019, I was living in Lekki and dealing with Lagos traffic daily. A “45-minute” drive was usually 2+ hours. By the end of NYSC, I told myself I was done with the city.
Then life said “not so fast.”
I quit my job after a manager assaulted me. Savings gone. Only reason I survived was landing a remote role during COVID.
Tried relocating within Lagos. An agent promised me a 2-bedroom in Ogudu for ₦800k. I spent over ₦150k on hotels + transport for inspections… only to be told the place had been given to someone else. After 3 weeks and about ₦200k burned, I gave up and moved to Ibadan.
Ibadan was calmer… until the “24-hour solar” in my apartment turned out to be a lie. Constant blackouts, heat, stress. Started house hunting again.
That’s when I realized the “Ibadan is cheap” story is mostly marketing. Agents misleading, inspection fees everywhere, some landlords straight up refusing single tenants. After 2 months and tripling my budget, I finally found a decent place in Onireke GRA.
House hunting here isn’t just stressful, it’s a full-time psychological test.
Anyone else gone through something similar?
