Abuja in 2026: what the yield numbers actually mean
Gross yields of 7–11% get quoted constantly. Here is what they look like after service charges, void periods and management fees.
The headline figure everyone repeats for prime Abuja is a gross yield between seven and eleven percent. It is a real number, but it is a gross number, and the gap between gross and net is where most first-time investors get surprised.
Start with service charges. In these districts they currently run between USD 3 and USD 5 per square foot per year depending on the amenity load. A building with an operator-run reception, a spa and a signature restaurant costs more to run than a courtyard block — that is not a criticism of either, it is a choice you should make deliberately.
Then void periods. A well-specified one-bedroom in Maitama or Asokoro lets quickly, but budget four to eight weeks of vacancy per year on an annual contract, more if you are running short-stay.
Management fees land between five and eight percent of collected rent for long lets, and considerably more for a managed short-stay pool — offset, usually, by materially higher gross revenue.
Run those three deductions and an eleven percent gross yield lands closer to eight. Which is still an excellent number. It is simply a different number than the one on the brochure, and you should underwrite the real one.