By Modupe Bankole
The Oyo State Government has held a stakeholder engagement with members of the Estate Rent and Commission Agents Association as part of efforts to address rising complaints of rent and commission extortion and to sanitise the housing sector across the state.
This came up in a meeting, held on Wednesday, convened by the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Akin-Funmilayo Williams, who said the engagement was aimed at finding a sustainable solution to sharp practices among some house agents while protecting the interests of tenants.
Hon. Williams explained that although the government does not have the power to dictate the rent charged by property owners, the activities of estate agents could be regulated through legislation. He noted that the meeting was necessary to allow practitioners in the sector to contribute meaningfully to ongoing discussions on regulatory measures.
According to the Commissioner, public concern over rising rents and excessive commission charges has intensified in recent weeks, including reports by a radio station that featured his image while calling for government intervention on the issue.
He added that the Oyo State House of Assembly had also debated the matter during its plenary session on Monday, with indications that a bill to regulate the activities of estate agents would soon be considered.
He said the Ministry decided to proactively engage stakeholders to develop a unified position that would be presented to the House of Assembly, stressing that any law enacted should reflect the realities of the sector and the input of both regulators and practitioners.
Hon. Williams charged the association to articulate clear recommendations on acceptable commission practices, which would be reviewed by the Ministry and forwarded to the legislature for further engagement. He emphasised that enforcement could only be effective when backed by law, noting that regulation without legislation would be difficult to implement.
In his response, the Chairman of the Oyo State Estate Rent and Commission Agents Association, Hon. Okekunle Mutahir, commended the state government for policies he said had positively impacted their operations, particularly improvements in security that have encouraged more people to relocate to Oyo State.
Okekunle acknowledged the concerns raised by the public, noting that the association had been working to address them for over a year. He disclosed that inspection fees had become a major avenue for extortion by some unscrupulous individuals, adding that the association abolished the practice in early January 2025.
He called on the state government to support the association in flushing out bad eggs within the sector, assuring that registered practitioners were committed to ethical conduct and professional standards.
