LAGOS, Nigeria — The University of Lagos, UNILAG, has announced a significant increase in tuition fees for its undergraduate courses.
The new fees, ranging from N100,750 to N190,250 depending on the courses, will apply from the next academic session.
This marks a stark departure from the past, where the institution’s tuition fee was pegged at N19,000 across all programs.
The fee structure now will vary; courses not requiring laboratory and studio work will cost N100,750, those involving labs and studios will rise to N140,250, and medical students will now have to shell out N190,250.
The university’s administration, at a meeting held on Thursday, July 20, 2023, decided upon the new fees.
According to a source at the meeting, Vice Chancellor Prof. Folasade Ogunsola noted the inevitable necessity of the move, stating, “It is no longer news that the University of Lagos tuition has not changed in the last 20 years but the cost of managing education has skyrocketed astronomically.”
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, UNILAG branch confirmed the news in a statement dated July 20, 2023, following a meeting with top university officials.
“During the meeting, the proposed fees for undergraduate students of UNILAG were disclosed,” the statement read. It further outlined the revised tuition structure based on course requirements.
Rasaki Yusuf, a SSANU representative, proposed a rebate for staff members with children attending the university.
However, the Vice Chancellor explained that the new charges were set nationally and could not be altered for specific categories of students.
Prof. Ogunsola did propose an option for staff to pay in installments, under the condition of full payment a month before final exams.
She also discussed other welfare issues, including hostel accommodations for staff wards, with a promise to reserve a percentage of spaces, but stopped short of guaranteeing accommodations for all staff children.
The meeting also addressed various staff union demands concerning overtime, shift allowances, hazard allowances, medical screening for staff, career stagnation, and the status of UNILAG International School tutors.
The university administration’s responses to these demands remain yet to be disclosed.
