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Ngozi finally found it – a clean and affordable flat in the calm part of Abuja, only fifteen minutes from his office. After weeks of searching, rough agents that last a long time, increased prices, and endless appearance, he felt a wave of relief.
He smiled at the owner when he reviewed the document.
Then the question arises – seems harmless.
“Are you married?”
He answered honestly, “No, sir, I’m single.”
The smile faded from his face.
“Ah. I don’t hire a single woman. Too many dramas. You understand.”
And just like that, the agreement was dead. Not because he could not pay, not because he did not have documents, but because he was a woman – not married and independent.
Throughout Nigeria, this scene is played too often. Whether in Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, or Enugu, thousands of women turn away from apartments, not based on financial criteria, but based on social bias that are rooted in – and often, invasive moral assessment.
Even married women are not immune.
Amina, a school teacher in Kaduna, handed over her husband’s name on the rental form. The landlord looked at him, then asked casually:
“Are you the first or second wife?”
He was stunned. “Why is that important?”
The reply?
“We have experienced problems before. The second wife tends to bring conflict to the complex. We only want peace.”
That is not a matter of housing – it is a cultural prejudice that is dressed like property management.
Even more alarming is how legal professionals often strengthen this discrimination, calmly and structurally. Lawyers may not openly advise landlords to reject single women, but many embed embeding can be used into rental agreements such as:
“Tenants must maintain moral standards.”
“All references must be from a partner or guardian of men.”
“Residents should not be involved in behaviors that make people bad.”
This clause may seem neutral, but they are often applied selectively to women, especially those who do not have a husband. And when challenged, landlords often respond with the wrong belief in place: “My lawyer compiled it.”
Let us clarify: There is no valid legal basis in Nigeria because it rejects the tenant only based on gender or marital status. In fact, doing that violates constitutional protection.
Section 42 (1) The 1999 constitution clearly states that:
“Nigerian citizens will not be subject to disability or restrictions on the reason of birth, gender, religion, or political opinion.”
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Denying women’s accommodation because she is single, widow, divorced, or not “wife of choice” is a direct violation of this right. In addition, Nigeria is the signing of a convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW), which requires the country to remove all forms of gender -based discrimination in housing, work, and access to public goods.
But in practice, many women continue to face insults just because they are looking for a roof over their heads.
In Port Harcourt, a software engineer who earns more than ₦ 500,000 per month is told that he needs a letter from his father – not because of his finances, but because he “lives alone.” In Lagos, a divorced businessman was told to bring her ex -husband as a guarantor. At Enugu, a widow was asked to prove that her husband was truly dead – before he could sign a contract.
All of these women meet every financial and legal requirements. But they failed in an unwritten moral test held by landlords – and sometimes their lawyers – force.
This is not about protecting property. This is about controlling women’s independence.
What to change?
First, lawyers have the responsibility to stop strengthening this bias through the preparation of law. They must advise their clients to remain within constitutional limits, not the discrimination robes in the legal jargon.
Second, the state must adopt the Tenancy Model Bill, which is designed to standardize the rental agreement, prohibit arbitrary conditions, and create a dispute resolution framework. Although passed at the federal level, countries must tame and uphold it to have a real impact.
Third, women must be empowered to challenge discrimination. Civil society groups, legal aid clinics, and gender justice organizations must educate women about their rights and support litigation if necessary. The court can – and has decided to support women in similar cases where discrimination is proven.
Finally, we have to talk about it. Hardly.
Because questions like “Are you married?” It may sound simple, but in many cases, this is used to filter, disqualify, and embarrass women. Followed by questions such as:
“Are you the second wife?”
“Will men visit you?”
“Can your father or brother sign you?”
This is not a question about leases – they are moral police tools.
There are no women who have to adjust the truth, create a fake husband, or underestimate their independence only to secure housing. Being single is not a red flag. Being a second wife is not a crime. And requires a roof over your head you should never mean to give up your dignity.
Housing is not a privilege for approved. This is a constitutional right for every Nigerian.
Until we treat it like that, too many women will continue to pay protection with something far more expensive than their money – their freedom.
Author: Abidemi Adebamiwa, Editor Implementing @ Newspot Nigeria
The article published in our graffiti section is the opinion of the writers and does not represent Nigerian ripple views or the editorial booths.
