For a growing number of workers, living in Lagos and working in Lagos are no longer the same thing.

Faced with rising rents and mounting living costs, many residents are relocating to neighbouring Ogun State and other satellite communities, trading shorter commutes for more affordable accommodation. The shift is reshaping residential patterns along the Lagos-Ogun corridor and highlighting the widening gap between incomes and the cost of urban living in Nigeria’s commercial capital.

Interviews conducted with residents and property agents in Mowe, Ibafo and Sango-Ota suggest that more Lagos workers are moving to those communities in search of cheaper accommodation while maintaining jobs in the city.

For Taiwo Balogun, moving his family to Mowe was a financial decision.

When he left Lagos, he knew he would spend more time travelling to work. What he did not anticipate was how quickly transportation costs and the strain of daily shuttling would begin to offset some of the savings from lower rent.

“Since I moved to Mowe because of the rent, my journey to work has become very difficult. Transport fare has doubled, and sometimes I have to sleep in the office staff quarters to avoid lateness and queries,” he said.
Although his rent is lower than what he previously paid in Lagos, Balogun said commuting now consumes a significant portion of his monthly income.

A similar experience forced secondary school teacher Tunde Ahmad to leave Gbagada after his landlord increased his annual rent from N900,000 to N2.2 million.

He said, “I could not cope. Rent in Mowe is less than half of what Lagos landlords are asking. At least my children can still eat and we can survive.”

Their experiences reflect a broader affordability challenge facing residents across Lagos.

Knight Frank’s H2 2025 Lagos Market Update recorded that residential rents continued to rise across several parts of the city despite moderating inflation, reflecting strong demand and constrained housing supply. The property consultancy noted that affordability pressures have intensified as housing delivery struggles to keep pace with population growth.

The housing challenge extends beyond rising rents. Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, recently said the state faces a housing deficit estimated at about three million units, underscoring the scale of the gap between housing demand and supply in one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities.

The situation is unfolding against a backdrop of wider economic pressures. Inflation, rising transportation costs and higher food prices have eroded household purchasing power, leaving many families with difficult decisions about where they can afford to live.

Property agents in Ogun border communities say the impact is becoming increasingly visible.

Biodun Olatunji, a property agent in Sango-Ota, said demand from Lagos-based workers has risen noticeably in recent years.

“Before, most tenants here had family ties. Now we are seeing bankers, civil servants, traders and professionals moving in every week because Lagos has become too expensive,” he said.

According to Olatunji, annual rents for standard two-bedroom apartments in parts of Sango-Ota currently range between N400,000 and N700,000, significantly lower than comparable properties in many Lagos neighbourhoods.

Urban planning experts warn that the migration trend is creating new challenges for both Lagos and Ogun States.
Dr Funke Alfred, an urban planning lecturer, said addressing the housing crisis would require stronger collaboration between the government and private developers.

“The government alone cannot close the housing gap. There must be incentives for private developers, rent regulation frameworks and investment in satellite infrastructure,” she said.

“Until that happens, more residents will continue looking beyond Lagos for affordable housing.”

The growing movement of residents has also increased pressure on the transport infrastructure linking both states. Major routes, including sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, experience severe congestion during peak periods as thousands of commuters travel into Lagos each day.

A customer service officer, Ngozi Eze, said, “I wake up very early every day to catch the bus to Lagos Island. By the time I get to work, I am already exhausted. But I have no choice because I cannot afford Lagos rent.”

The implications extend beyond housing. Longer commuting times can affect productivity, while growing populations in Ogun’s border communities are placing additional pressure on roads, schools, healthcare facilities and other public services.

For Balogun, however, the issue is less about policy debates and more about financial survival.

The move to Ogun has reduced his rent burden, but added hours to his day and increased the physical and emotional strain of getting to work.

Returning to Lagos, he says, is no longer financially realistic.

“Unless rents come down, this is where we have to stay,” he said.