The management of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State has reportedly increased fees for undergraduate students in the institution.
This was made known in a statement released July 20,2023 ,by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, UNILAG branch following a meeting with the top management staff. The union, in the statement, said the VC stated that fees would be increased for UNILAG undergraduate students.
Students studying medicine will now pay N190,250, while those taking courses that require laboratory and studio facilities will be charged N140,250. This is a significant increase compared to the previous fee of N19,000.
According to SSANU, the VC, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola met with representatives of the three non-academic staff unions on Thursday, July 20th to discuss issues concerning members’ welfare.
“During the meeting, the proposed fees for undergraduate students of UNILAG were disclosed.
The statement reads in part “Students without lab and studio use will pay N100,750, those with lab use will pay N140,250 and the college of medicine would pay N190,250,”
During the meeting, Rasaki Yusuf, the SSANU representative, requested a rebate for staff members with children studying at the university.
Ogunsola, however, gave the option of staff paying in instalments but with a condition to pay up one month before final exams.
GOVIMA followed up reactions from Netizens to see their reaction
One @Davmobi described the increase as a “900 %” increase.
A Twitter user with the handle @AyoAkinlo expressed concern over the increased fees, describing them as exorbitant. He further suggested that such a significant rise in fees at the University of Lagos might set a precedent for state universities to also raise their tuition fees.
@Vas_vikky001 raised a valid question regarding the future of postgraduate students if the undergraduate fees are set at such a high amount.
The concern is about the potential impact on postgraduate education and accessibility due to the significant fee increase for undergraduates.
@Fitblaq emphasised that the exorbitant cost of education could have adverse effects on producing experts, particularly in critical fields such as healthcare.
The concern is that the high tuition fees may deter talented individuals from pursuing careers in areas essential for the nation’s development and well-being.
