Students of the University of Ibadan (UI) have vowed to remain in their hostels despite a directive from the university’s management to vacate the halls of residence. The directive follows ongoing protests over a significant increase in tuition fees.
The controversy began after the university raised fees from N230,000 to N412,000, sparking widespread dissatisfaction among students. In response, the university administration announced that students should leave their hostels, citing the need to manage the ongoing dispute. However, the students have resolutely refused to comply with this order.
In a statement, Booni Adamson, president of one of the student associations, urged students to resist the eviction. “The memo issued by the university management is a deliberate attempt to push students into unsafe conditions,” Adamson said. “Many of us come from distant locations, and being forced out of the hostels puts us at risk of kidnapping and other dangers.”
The students have demanded that if the university insists on eviction, they should be refunded their hostel fees. “If the management wants us to leave by 2 PM, they should refund our fees before 12 PM,” Adamson added.
The protest against the fee hike has intensified, with students threatening to lock down the campus if their demands are not met. The university had earlier extended the deadline for fee payment by three weeks, but this extension has been met with further resistance from the student body.
“The extension does not address the core issue. We cannot accept such a drastic increase in fees, and we will not leave our hostels under these conditions,” said Adamson.
The University of Ibadan, established in 1948, is Nigeria’s oldest degree-awarding institution. It has long been regarded as a beacon of higher education in the country. However, recent developments have sparked tensions between the university administration and its students.
The decision to increase tuition fees is part of a broader trend across Nigerian universities where rising costs have led to student protests. The increase at UI is one of the steepest in recent times, and it has been criticized for exacerbating the financial burden on students and their families.
