28/07/2026
*AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR PERTER MBA THE GOVERNOR OF ENUGU STATE* :
Sir, Time to Regulate Real Estate Agents in Enugu State
*By Prince Benjamin Okey Ngene,* Estate Surveyor
Since assuming office, His Excellency, Barr. Peter Mba, has demonstrated remarkable commitment to transforming Enugu State. His administration's investment in infrastructure has visibly reshaped the state, and his efforts to position Enugu as a hub for business and investment are commendable and worthy of praise. Enugu today feels like a state on the move.
However, there is a growing menace quietly eroding the gains of this progress — one that touches the everyday lives of ordinary citizens more than many realize: the unregulated and often exploitative activities of quack real estate agents operating across the state.
Every day, hardworking residents of Enugu — civil servants, traders, young professionals, and families — fall victim to arbitrary charges, inflated fees, and outright extortion at the hands of individuals parading themselves as real estate agents, with little to no accountability.
This must change, and only decisive government intervention can bring the sanity this sector urgently needs.
I therefore respectfully draw the Governor's attention to the following pressing issues, and urge his administration to act on them without delay:
1. Cap Agents' Fees at 10% of Annual Rent
It is common practice for agents in Enugu to charge exorbitant fees — sometimes rivaling or exceeding the rent itself — with no standard or ceiling. A clear regulation capping agents' commission at a maximum of 10% of the annual rent would bring fairness and predictability to property transactions, protecting tenants from being priced out of housing simply to satisfy an agent's appetite.
2. Abolish the So-Called "Management Fee"
The so-called "management fee," frequently imposed on tenants who receive no actual property management service in return, amounts to nothing short of exploitation. This practice should be declared illegal, scrapped immediately, and backed by a law that prescribes clear penalties for any agent or landlord representative who attempts to impose it.
3. Mandatory Registration of All Real Estate Agents
Every individual or firm operating as a real estate agent in Enugu State should be required to register formally with the appropriate state government agency and with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). This will help separate genuine, professional practitioners from opportunistic quacks, and give the government a clear framework for oversight, accountability, and, where necessary, sanctions.
4. Establishment of a State Property Bank
A centralized, government-facilitated "property bank," accessible to all duly registered agents, would provide a transparent platform for advertising available properties across Enugu.
This would improve market visibility, reduce duplication and fraud, and make it easier for genuine agents — and prospective tenants — to find each other without the current chaos and misinformation.
A Respectful Appeal
Your Excellency, the same visionary leadership you have brought to infrastructure and business development is urgently needed in the real estate rental sector. Left unregulated, this sector will continue to burden the very citizens your policies are working to uplift.
I humbly urge you to take these concerns seriously and to consider the enactment of appropriate regulations and enforcement mechanisms that will save renters in Enugu from continued exploitation. Doing so would not only protect the people but also set a shining example for other states to follow.
God bless Enugu State Government.
God bless all the good people of Enugu.
*Prince Benjamin Okey Ngene*
Estate Surveyor
