Laura Ikeji-Kanu pull up the curtain on something every Lagos entrepreneur can relate to — the insane cost of renting shops and business spaces in the state.
And trust me… her numbers made jaws drop.
🗓️ Timeline — How the Story Unfolded
📌 Jan 29, 2026
Laura first raised the rent issue, sharing her concern that skyrocketing shop rents were forcing small business owners to quietly close up or move out of Lagos.
📌 Feb 25, 2026 (Today)
She took to her Instagram page again with a video that has since gone viral, directly addressing what many see as a rental crisis crushing entrepreneurs in the commercial capital.
💸 What She Actually Said (Receipts + Quotes)
In the video, Laura detailed the real numbers in cold, hard figures:
👉 She currently pays around ₦50 million annually for two shop spaces in Lagos.
👉 Those same shops were originally rented for ₦3 million and ₦4 million per year, respectively.
👉 Today? One shop rents for ₦16 million, the other has ballooned to ₦30 million a year.
👉 That’s a 10x increase over a few years — and not because her business suddenly got better… just because landlords keep hiking prices.
Laura said, in her own words:
“If you can’t regulate the rent, maybe give us money for business… this is not something small people are battling alone.”
She also warned forcefully:
“You will not have any business in Lagos soon because a lot of people would have to move out.”
This isn’t just a personal rant — she framed this as representing Lagos entrepreneurs and businesswomen who are drowning under rent pressure.
She specifically called on the Lagos State Government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to either:
✅ Regulate business rent prices, or
✅ Provide financial support/grants to struggling SMEs.
That’s a public policy appeal — not a private complaint.
Once her video spread, Lagos timelines lit up:
🔥 Small business owners commented:
“My rent went from ₦7m to ₦18m this year.”
— Wofai Fada reportedly wrote in support.
💬 Industry colleagues like Dabota Lawson openly shared frustration:
“If not because of my business model I’d move online — rent money is crazy.”
Actress Juliet Ibrahim showed solidarity, saying the rent pain is real for thousands in Lagos.
📌 Lagos commercial rents — especially in Lekki, VI, and high-traffic markets — have surged because of inflation and demand.
📌 Warehouse rents in areas like Oshodi can range anywhere from ₦25m up to over ₦300m yearly, depending on size and location .
So while her case shines a spotlight, the broader rent avalanche in Lagos’s real estate market isn’t just her problem — it’s a structural issue many businesses are chanting about.
This issue now feels like:
➡️ A small business crisis
➡️ A policy conversation
➡️ A call to action for the Lagos government
➡️ A wake-up call for Nigerian entrepreneurs
And because Laura speaks with clarity — backed by real figures and video receipts — this topic isn’t going away.
