Following an extended meeting with the national leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the University of Lagos (UNILAG) administration has consented to a reduction in the mandatory fees required from its students. The university, in a statement issued by UNILAG’s Communication Unit, represented by Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem on Friday morning, disclosed that the meeting was attended by the National President of NANS, Comrade Usman Umar Barambu, accompanied by other NANS officials, along with the university’s delegation led by Vice Chancellor Prof. Folasade Ogunsola.
The agreement reached during the meeting includes a reduction in Utility Charges for all student categories from N20,000:00 to N15,000:00. Additionally, the obligatory fees for new undergraduate students have been revised from N126,325:00 to N116,325:00 for courses without Lab/Studio and from N176,325:00 to N166,325:00 for courses with Lab/Studio. For returning undergraduate students, fees have been adjusted from N100,750:00 to N80,750:00 for courses without Lab/Studio, from N140,250:00 to N120,250:00 for courses with Lab/Studio, and from N190,250:00 to N170,250:00 for Medical/Pharmacy students and students in Health Professions.
Furthermore, the Convocation Fee for all final year students has been reduced from N30,000:00 to N27,000:00. Hostel fees have also seen significant reductions: undergraduate hostels in Akoka and Yaba campuses now charge N43,000:00 instead of N90,000:00, while hostels in Idi-Araba campus have lowered their fees to N65,000:00 from N120,000:00. Sodeinde Hall fees have been reduced to N135,000:00 from N250,000:00.
At the outset of the meeting, the NANS President emphasized the demands of UNILAG students, which included reversing the obligatory fees, hostel fee reductions, and the reinstatement of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) in UNILAG. Comrade Barambu pointed out that the absence of the Students Union Government had negatively impacted communication between students and the university’s management, making it difficult for students to voice their concerns effectively.
Professor Ogunsola outlined the university’s financial challenges in light of current economic conditions and its efforts to meet obligations to students, staff, and service providers. She highlighted the university’s commitment to implementing various measures to alleviate the impact of the fee adjustments, such as offering an Instalment Payment Option, revitalizing the Work-Study Programme, providing assistance to indigent students, launching projects like Triple A and Pay for Mentors, and creating scholarship opportunities, among others.
The Vice-Chancellor reaffirmed that no UNILAG student would be forced to leave the institution due to fees and emphasized the university’s dedication to providing quality education to all students, irrespective of their socioeconomic background.
Additionally, the Vice-Chancellor pledged to initiate the process of reinstating students’ union activities at the university in the near future. It’s worth noting that student unionism had been prohibited at UNILAG for over six years. This development comes in response to ongoing protests by students against what they perceived as exorbitant fees.