LAGOS, Nigeria – The University of Lagos, UNILAG, embroiled in a crisis over a substantial fee hike, is not backing down.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Folashade Ogunsola announced on Saturday, September 9, 2023, that the increase was necessary to maintain the quality of education amid rising costs.
At a virtual news conference, Ogunsola explained that the university had no choice but to implement an increase, which amounts to approximately 400% of the previous fees.
“If quality service is to be sustained by the university, then we must move ahead with the new fee regime,” Ogunsola said.
The hike, which now ranges from N126,000 to N200,000 depending on the course of study, comes after what Ogunsola described as “wide consultation” with stakeholders, including students and their parents.
“We did not take this decision lightly. It has been mutually agreed upon,” she emphasized.
This stark increase has led to a furor among students and parents.
However, Ogunsola insisted the move was unavoidable due to “current economic reality” in Nigeria, accentuated by the federal government’s recent removal of fuel subsidies, which has triggered an inflationary spiral in the country.
According to Ogunsola, even the new fees are heavily subsidized. “To train one university student, the school incurs substantial costs,” she outlined.
“For instance, UNILAG spends up to N1.7 billion on electricity alone yearly, N140 million on examinations, and between N100 million and N200 million on course accreditation.”
The Vice-Chancellor added that the fee structure at UNILAG had been stagnant for the past 15 years, making it increasingly unsustainable.
“The fees we were charging students before now have been what we have been charging for the past 15 years, and we can no longer cope with such an amount,” she admitted.
Ogunsola also pointed out that UNILAG is not the only federal university to revise its fees. The federal government has permitted all such institutions to review their charges.
“Why the noise is only about UNILAG is a wonder to me,” she said, noting that institutions like Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Maiduguri have also announced fee increments.
Acknowledging the financial hardship many families face, Ogunsola assured that no student would be forced to drop out due to the fee hike.
She outlined several measures to ease the burden, such as installment payments, work-study programs, scholarship opportunities, and special transportation arrangements with Lagos Bus Rapid Transport system.
“We will continue to engage stakeholders to join hands with the management to move the university forward,” she concluded.
The fee hike at UNILAG is reflective of a broader educational crisis in Nigeria, as universities struggle to balance the demands of quality education with economic realities.
The question remains as the government permits fee adjustments: at what cost to the student body and their families?
