The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has clarified its decision to request students staying on campus to bring their own mattresses and personal items into the halls of residence, citing health reasons. This explanation comes in the wake of protests by parents who are grappling with recent increases in tuition, hostel, and other fees.
Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, Head of the Information Unit at UNILAG, spoke with Vanguard and revealed that the university is currently renovating the various hostels to improve students’ living conditions. Some of the hostels will be fully renovated before the students resume later in the month, and work will continue on those that may not be completed by that time.
She addressed concerns from parents and students who felt that the new fee structure should cover such amenities, saying, “We asked the students to come with their own beddings for health reasons. That has been the practice for some time. It is not new. We are also working on the renovation of the various hostels. Some of them would be fully renovated before the students resume later in the month.”
Regarding the cost of these items and the increase in hostel fees, Alaga-Ibraheem explained, “Those whose renovation works might not be completed before the students resume, we are going to continue to work on them. We are working to make the hostels conducive for the students. As for the complaints that the hostel fees should be enough for the school to provide those items, we all know the situation in the country and the cost of the items. N65,000, for instance, as a hostel fee for a year is not expensive going by what people pay for private accommodation. The management is mindful of the welfare of the students and we are making all efforts to make their stay on campus comfortable.”
A concerned parent, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed dismay, stating, “UNILAG is becoming a secondary school where students are asked to come to school with their own beddings. It’s unbelievable. This is a university that has just increased tuition and hostel fees.”
Recall that the university recently raised mandatory fees, including hostel fees. Initially, the hostel fee surged from N25,000 to between N100,000 and N120,000, depending on the type of hostel. However, following substantial protests from students and parents, the hostel fees were adjusted to range between N65,000 and N85,000.
In comparison, a nearby private hostel, Emerald Suites, charges as much as N184,500 per bed space for a four-person room and N200,000 per bed space for a two-person room.
