UNILAG Cuts Student Fees After Extended Meeting With NANS....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) at Akoka has taken the step to reduce its mandatory and other associated fees for students following an extended meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). The meeting, convened by UNILAG’s management, lasted over five hours and aimed to amicably resolve the ongoing student protests that erupted in response to the fee hikes implemented since July.

As a result of this development, the university’s spokesperson, Mrs. Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, announced that the mandatory fees for new undergraduate students have been reduced. For courses without laboratory or studio components, the fees were lowered from N126,325 to N116,325, while those with lab/studio requirements will now pay N166,325 instead of N176,325. Returning students have also seen reductions in their fees: from N100,750 to N80,750 for courses without lab/studio, and from N140,250 to N120,250 for those with lab/studio components. Medical and pharmacy students’ fees have been adjusted from N190,250 to N170,250.

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Additionally, all students will now pay N15,000 for utilities, which cover services like electricity and waste disposal, down from the previous N20,000. The Convocation fee has been reduced to N27,000 from N30,000.

In terms of accommodation, the hostel fee for undergraduates at both the Akoka and Yaba campuses has been reduced to N43,000 from N90,000. Medical students’ hostel fees in the Idi-Araba campus have been adjusted to N65,000 from N120,000. For Sodeinde Hall, students will now pay N135,000, down from N250,000.

Alaga-Ibraheem also explained that students who had already paid the entire mandatory fees would work out the details with the school to address any differences, while those on installment payments would adjust their fees accordingly.

UNILAG has also implemented measures such as installment payments, scholarship grants, work-study programs, and a student sponsorship project to address the concerns of financially disadvantaged students, ensuring that no student is forced to drop out due to the fee adjustments.

For the past 15 years, UNILAG students have been paying an average of N20,000 annually in mandatory fees. The university’s management argued that this fee structure is no longer sustainable given the current economic conditions and inflation in Nigeria.

In a joint statement released by NANS’ National Public Relations Officer, Giwa Temitope, the student body confirmed the fee reductions and stated that the university has also agreed to lift the ban on student union activities and ensure that no student faces victimization for their involvement in the protests.