The major development, the University of Lagos Slashes Fees and decided to significantly reduce the obligatory and other fees imposed on its students. This decision comes after a lengthy meeting, spanning over five hours, between the university’s management and the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The meeting, initiated by UNILAG’s management, aimed to find a mutually agreeable solution to the ongoing crisis and persistent student protests that have followed the fee hikes implemented since July.
According to Mrs. Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, the University of Lagos Slashes Fees spokesperson, the revised fee structure includes reductions in obligatory fees for new undergraduates. Fees for courses without laboratory/studio have been lowered from N126,325 to N116,325, while fees for students in courses requiring lab/studio facilities have been reduced from N176,325 to N166,325. Returning students have also benefited from fee reductions, with fees now ranging from N80,750 to N170,250, depending on their course of study.
Furthermore, the utility fee, covering electricity and waste disposal, has been reduced from N20,000 to N15,000 for all students, and the Convocation fee has been adjusted to N27,000 from N30,000.
UNILAG has also revisited hostel fees, bringing relief to undergraduates in Akoka and Yaba campuses, where fees have been reduced to N43,000 from N90,000. Medical students in the Idi-Araba campus will now pay N65,000 instead of N120,000. For Sodeinde Hall, the fee has been reduced to N135,000 from N250,000.
Alaga-Ibraheem clarified that students who had already paid the full obligatory fees would collaborate with the university to resolve any outstanding balances, while those on installment plans would adjust their payments accordingly.
To address concerns from financially disadvantaged students, the university has introduced various measures, including installment payments, scholarship opportunities, work-study programs, and student sponsorship initiatives. These initiatives aim to ensure that no student is forced to drop out due to the fee adjustments.
For the past 15 years, UNILAG students had been paying an average of N20,000 annually as obligatory fees. However, the university argued that this fee structure was no longer sustainable given the current economic inflation in the country.
In a joint statement released by NANS, the student body confirmed the fee reductions and announced that the ban on student union activities on campus would be lifted. They also affirmed that no student would face victimization based on their active participation in the recent protests. This decision marks a significant step toward resolving the ongoing fee-related disputes at UNILAG.
For more news visit https://arritoneconsult.com.ng/blog
For more educational post visit examhood.com.ng