Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has advised young workers struggling with rising house rents in the state to consider living with their parents, relatives or sharing accommodation while building their financial capacity.

Hamzat gave the advice during a question-and-answer session with Nigeria Info FM on Thursday, August 20, amid growing concerns over the rising cost of accommodation in Lagos.

The deputy governor was asked how a 22-year-old earning N100,000 monthly could afford a self-contained apartment or mini-flat reportedly costing about N1 million annually.

In response, Hamzat urged young people to choose accommodation that aligns with their income instead of feeling pressured to immediately rent expensive apartments.

“Don’t let us misunderstand ourselves as a people. We are cultural people. Do you understand? So, if I start work as a young person and I’m not married, a lot of us live with our parents. A lot of us live with our cousins,” he said.

He cited Turkey as an example, saying young people in other countries also adopt different forms of shared or family accommodation while starting their careers.

Hamzat stressed that young workers should not feel compelled to move into self-contained apartments if their earnings could not comfortably support such expenses.

“So, if you don’t start from the top self-contained, you don’t start from the top. You start from the average depending on,” he said.

The deputy governor also advised residents to avoid spending an excessive portion of their income on rent, noting that workers still have other essential expenses to cover.

“In fact, if you spend more than 40 per cent of your income on rent, it is too high because you must eat, you must buy clothes, you must do transportation,” Hamzat said.

His comments have since generated reactions online, with some Nigerians debating whether living with parents or relatives is a realistic solution to Lagos’ soaring housing costs, particularly for young workers earning modest salaries.