The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given the management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) a 48-hour ultimatum to reverse the fee hike in the institution. NANS executive members, led by the National Public Relations Officer, Giwa Temitope; National Vice President, External, Akinteye Afeez; and the Deputy Senate President, Ekundina Elvis, among others, condemned the arrest of students who were protesting the fee hike at UNILAG Junction.
Some of the protesters, including Adeyeye Olorunfemi, Philip Olatinwo, Aduwo Ayodele, and Giwa Temitope, were later released by the police after the security agencies fired teargas to disperse the students during the protest.
The Lagos State Police Command had earlier requested that the students inform the police of their protest plans for adequate security measures, but the students argued that protest is a fundamental human right.
During a press conference at the International Press Centre, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, the student leaders expressed their dissatisfaction with the repression they faced during the protest. According to NANS, the decision to protest the fee hike came after the UNILAG management allegedly failed to meet the terms of the agreement reached with the students on August 2, 2023, where the Vice Chancellor assured them that the fees would be reversed and reviewed through a joint body of students and university staff.
Responding to the situation, the Head of Communications Unit at UNILAG, Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, stated that the university was not against lawful protests. She directed the students to channel their grievances through the Dean, Student Affairs.
However, the NANS leaders announced their intention to return to UNILAG and issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the university’s management to reverse the fees as agreed upon and refund students who had already paid the increased fees.
In July 2023, UNILAG’s management had increased fees significantly, citing “prevailing economic realities” as the reason behind the decision. For instance, fees for medicine students were raised from N19,000 to N190,250, and for courses that require laboratory and studio work, students were to pay N140,250.
The student body, along with NANS leadership, vowed to continue mobilizing and protesting against the fee hike, emphasizing the importance of accessible education and calling on higher education institutions not to increase fees.