Students leaders at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos State, have met with the university authorities over the outrageous fees hike in the institution which has been roundly condemned by various civic groups and interests across the country.
The students leaders, Isaac Toriola, president-elect, Management Science and Balogun Ibrahim, president-elect, Faculty of Education, in a release obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday enjoined all the students to “stand together and raise our voices against the lack of investment in education by the Federal Government as this hike affects us all.”
The release noted that the students had met with the management and confronted them with the grievances of the students and were awaiting feedback from the authorities.
“On July 24, the president-elect of the Faculty of Education and management science, representing the faculty president-elect took a bold step to visit the Dean of Student Affairs (DSA) to discuss the issue of the fee hike.
“The DSA explained that the university been subsidizing the students fees for over 20 years despite underfunding by the Federal government. Unfortunately, the university has been facing a budget deficit of N1.9billion in the past few years, which has been a major challenge for the management.
“To address this financial shortfall, the management proposed an increase in the obligatory fees during a meeting with the Vice Chancellor. The proposed increment was subsequently sent to the NUC and the Ministry of Education for approval which they received. Hence we call upon all students to unite in solidarity and voice our grievances to the Federal Government, urging them to repeal the hike in the school fees and provide adequate funding for education.
“Additionally, we discussed issues related to power outages, ID card and laboratory issues. The DSA assured us to improve the electricity supply on campus. The former faculty president has also written a letter to the management, regarding this increase in obligatory fees, following their meeting with the VC. We are currently awaiting the management’s response to the matter.
“Greatest Akokites, let us stand together and raise our voices against the lack of investment in education by the Federal Government as this hike affects us all.”
SaharaReporters also reported that the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) asked the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to declare a state of emergency on the Nigerian Educational System, noting that if it refuses to declare it, it may do so for them.
NANS had also urged the Nigerian government to call the stakeholders to look for a lasting solution that would help the masses to be able to afford prestigious government established institutions.
The group in a statement signed by its Vice President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez called on the management of the University of Lagos to as a matter of urgency, revert its tuition fees recently hiked.
The NANS threatened that failure to do this, “UNILAG shall incur the wrath of the Nigerian Students and the school shall be shut down indefinitely until our demands are met.”
NANS also warned other tertiary institutions, which are already planning to increase their fees to further crush education in Nigeria, to think twice and source for fund elsewhere to meet their needs.