Prof. Folashade Ogunsola, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos(UNILAG), Akoka, Saturday explained that new fee regime charged by the institution was the minimum approved by the federal government, the students and parents to keep the system running….CONTINUE READING...CONTINUE READING
The Vice-Chancellor explained at the weekend during a virtual news conference with journalists and sought the understanding of students, parents and other critical stakeholders of the university, saying it was the baseline to sustain the institution.
Recall that the new fee regime had been a subject of concern and protests by students of the university backed by the umbrella body of students in the country, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
Ogunsola explained that if the university must meets its obligations to the students and others, the old fee cannot and would not be adequate even to provide electricity for the university talk less of other costs.
According to her, “The institution did not just arrive at the new fee regime in the range of N126,000 to 200,000 depending on courses of study, on its own but did so after wide consultation” with various stakeholders in the university including the students and their parents with them jointly agreed for increment.
Ogunsola said the total old fees which were in the range of N25,000 per student yearly were a far cry from meeting the needs of UNILAG based on the current economic reality in the country, particularly since the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, which is daily pushing up the prices of goods and services in the market.
Ogunsola said the university had maintained its fees for 15 years without increment, saying it became imperative for the university , as a last resort, “With the harsh economic climate in the nation” to increase”.
She added that parents, students, university unions and other stakeholders were briefed in January on the need to increase fees, saying even at the percentage of hike there was still subsidy for students.
“We spend N1.7 billion on electricity per annum, despite the fact that our street lights are solar-powered and we use low-energy bulbs. Also, we have huge debts to pay. The harsh economic climate of the nation has affected the university, we should have been increasing our fees every year. We are under pressure to produce quality education,” she said.
The VC said despite getting N150 million annually to fund overhead running costs, maintenance of the university gulps huge amount of money.
“Maintenance of the university is where money is sinking. Hostel maintenance alone costs N500 million. The extra charges are to shore up dwindling government funds,” she said.
Assuring that no student would stop learning due to the hike in fee,
Ogunsola said, “The revitalisation of our Work Study Programme is ongoing. Students can now earn N500 per hour and they can work for 10 hours. Before,it was N200 per hour. Students can also register for the Indigent Student Package. Last year 600 students registered, over 200 were adopted. No student will drop out. We have made adequate provisions for indigent students,” she added….CONTINUE READING
