UNILAG reduces fees, assures no student will drop out

By Iyabo Lawal  

After a five-hour meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students  (NANS), the University of Lagos (UNILAG), yesterday, reduced its newly introduced obligatory fees.

The university had increased the payable fees from N26,000 and about N76,000 to between N120,750 and N240,250 depending on the course of study and year of admission. But the students rejected the new fees, vowing to ground activities on campus till management rescinds its decision.

Last Wednesday, the students disrupted human and vehicular movements on campus as they protested the fees increment. The situation was the same again this week, as they embarked on another round of protests, insisting on review of the fees.

Although the institution’s vice chancellor, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, assured that no students would drop out of school as a result of the increment as several measures have been introduced to accommodate the indigent ones, she, however, had a rethink after a meeting with the student leaders and reduced the fees.

At a meeting with the students, led by the President of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Usman Barambu, the university announced the reduction of the fees in the interest of peace.

In a statement by the university’s spokesperson, Adejoke Alaga-Ibrahim, the institution announced the reduction of the obligatory, utility and convocation fees.

According to the statement, utility charges for all categories of students have been reduced to N15,000 from N20,000; while convocation fees paid by all final-year students were reduced to N27,000 from N30,000.

The obligatory fees for new undergraduate students were reviewed from N126,325 to N116,325 for courses without lab/studio, and N176,325 to N166,325 for courses with lab/studio.

Also, obligatory fees for returning undergraduate students were reviewed from N100,750 to N80,750 for courses without lab/studio; N120,250 from N140,250 for courses with lab/studio; and N170,250 from N190,250 for medical / pharmacy students, and students in health professions.

For hostel fees, students in undergraduate hostels in the Akoka and Yaba campuses, would pay N43,000 instead of N90,000; for hostels in Idi-Araba campus, students would pay N65,000 instead of N120,000, while the fees for Sodeinde Hall were reduced to N135,000 from N250,000.

Apart from the reversal of the obligatory fees, the NANS President also demanded the reinstatement of Students’ Union Government (SUG) in UNILAG.

According to the statement, Barambu observed that the absence of SUG in UNILAG had adversely affected communication between the students and management.

He also noted that students would be able to channel their grievances appropriately through the SUG.

Alaga-Ibrahim, in the statement, assured that the vice-chancellor will commence the process of reinstating students’ union activities in the university.

The vice chancellor reiterated her commitment to the actualisation of measures put in place to ameliorate the negative impacts of the fees increment.

Ogunsola had listed the measures put in place to ease the payment of fees to include installment payment option, scholarship, revitalisation of a work-study programme, assistance to indigent students, and partnership with Lagos Bus Rapid Transport System.