Some students at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), particularly those arriving from outside Lagos, were left stranded over the weekend after finding private hostel facilities they had paid for inaccessible.
These students, who paid up to N500,000 for a year’s rent, traveled from cities as far as Calabar in anticipation of the new academic session set to start Monday, 27 October 2024.
One of the affected students, a newly admitted freshman, expressed frustration and said he had to seek alternative accommodations upon arrival. The delay in accessing private hostel accommodations followed recent fee hikes from N43,000 to N80,000 for main-campus housing, while medical students at Idi Araba now face fees of N100,000, due to year-round residency.
UNILAG’s Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Musa Obalola, confirmed the issue, explaining that only private hostels were currently affected. University-managed hostels, he clarified, are still undergoing renovations and will not be allocated until all facilities are ready. To avoid overcrowding, he added, classes would temporarily be conducted online.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) voiced its strong opposition to the fee hikes. In a statement, NANS Senate President Akinteye Afeez Babatunde refuted claims that students consented to the new rates. Labeling the fee increases as a financial burden, NANS announced plans to organize a National Congress on UNILAG’s campus to unify student resistance. The association warned that, if their demands are not met, they are prepared to shut down the university indefinitely.
NANS criticized the suggestion by university management that students unhappy with on-campus accommodation rates should seek off-campus housing, describing it as insensitive to students already struggling financially. They argued that rising education costs threaten accessibility, and any failure to address their concerns would spark a strong, unified response.
