“1 Bedroom is N2m Monthly”: House Rent in Canada Hits New High, Nigerians Now Sleep on Streets
- Canada is not only becoming too cold for Nigerians but also increasingly expensive for many who relocated in search of a better life
- Reports show that Nigerians live in odd places like cemetery across the country to cope with rising housing costs
- Nigeria ranks fifth among the top source countries for new international students entering Canada
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Nigerians who relocated to Canada in search of a better life are finding it more difficult than they expected.
Legit.ng, in an earlier report, revealed that the number of Nigerians that moved to Canada surged to the highest in nine years for the first quarter of 2023.
Source: Getty Images
From January to June, about 10,180 Nigerians moved to Canada, adding to the 6,195 at the end of 2022, up from 13,745 in the same period in 2021.
The figures obtained from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) also showed that Canada recorded 5,755 Permanent Residents (PRs) from Nigeria in Q1 2023.
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Nigerians in Canada
While the joy of arriving in Canada for Nigerians is boundless, as evident from their posts on social media, BusinessDay reports that many Nigerians who had hoped for a better life in Canada now live in cemeteries and on the streets.
This unfortunate situation is a consequence of the rising cost of housing rent across various cities in Canada.
Cost of living in Canada
According to data from Rentals.ca, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Canada has surged to CA$2,078 (approximately N1.170 million) per month.
The most expensive one-bedroom accommodations are found in Vancouver, where they average CA$3,000 (about N1.68 million) monthly.
Additionally, rentseeker.ca reports that a studio apartment costs CA$1,860 (N1.04 million) in Toronto, while it's even more expensive in Mississauga, where a studio apartment goes for CA$2,351 (approximately N1.32 million).
These exorbitant prices are unaffordable for many Nigerians who arrived in the country on student visas without work permits, leaving them with limited options and forcing them to reside in unconventional places.
Here are the average monthly rents for one-bedroom apartments in Canada's cities, according to rentseeker.ca.
- Toronto: $2196 (about N1.62 million)
- Ottawa: $1735 (about N1.28 million)
- Calgary: $1647 (about N1.22 million)
- Montreal: $1558 (about N1.15 million)
- Edmonton: $1301 (about N961,740)
- Vancouver: $2755 (about N2.04 million)
- Hamilton: $1841 (about N1.36 million)
- Mississauga: $2351 (about N1.74 million)
US government opens visa lottery application, two options for Nigerians to qualify
Legit.ng reported that the United States has opened applications for its 2025 Diversity Visa Programme, popularly known as the visa lottery.
In a statement published on its website and obtained by Legit.ng, the U.S. department said the application will close on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
While nationals from 53 African countries are qualified to apply, Nigerians are once again barred.
Source: Legit.ng
