Students’ Housing Preferences in Nigerian Public Universities

The study examined students’ housing preferences in selected public universities in Nigeria. The spatial, functional, and privacy-related characteristics of preferred student accommodation were examined. A quantitative research design was adopted. A structured questionnaire was completed by 300-level students in four public universities in the South-West and North-Central geopolitical zones of Nigeria. A total of 480 questionnaires were analysed. The findings from the analysed questionnaires revealed strong preferences in relation to the location of student housing on university campuses as well as within the physical and functional characteristics of preferred accommodation. The findings revealed that 61% of the respondents preferred to be on campus and in single bedrooms with a toilet and shower within their bedrooms. In addition, 63.7% of the respondents preferred to have a kitchenette in their bedrooms. Among the respondents who shared accommodation, the preferred roommates were friends in all the universities under study. The preferred floor level was the first floor with 33.5%, followed by the ground floor with 29.6%. The preferred number of floors for student residential buildings was three, with 43.1%. The major dimensions of students’ housing preferences were privacy, proximity, reduced sharing, and accessibility. The study concluded that housing provision for students in Nigerian public universities should be directed by students’ expressed preferences in relation to the spatial and functional characteristics of accommodation rather than focusing on the quantity of space provided.