A group of students under the aegis of the Students Solidarity Group Against Fee Hike, have announced a protest against increment in the fees of students by the management of the University of Lagos.
In a statement that was tagged “Protest-A-Thon: As We March Tomorrow”, the group made it known that a massive protest will kick start on September 13, stating that nothing will stop the action.
On July 21, 2023, UNILAG announced an increment in the tuition fees of the undergraduate students of the institution, citing “prevailing economic realities.”
The increment saw fees rise from N19,000 to N190,250 for undergraduate students studying medicine while for courses that require laboratory and studio, the students were to pay N140,250.
The statement reads, “Armed with facts and figures, with our voices on the loudest decibels, we will MARCH tomorrow and no Jupiter will stop the resolve of Nigerian students to confront their oppressors who have wickedly decided to snuff life out of them and their poor parents.
“Despite all efforts to bring the Management to reason, it has only concerned itself with a shopping spree; desperately looking for those it can either talk out of the struggle or compromise.
“We want to sound this note of warning that whosoever in whatever capacity meets with the Management in the name of representing the students without recourse to the protesting students or seeking the approval of the students in a democratic CONGRESS is only having a beer parlour talk. They had better hold such talks at the Lagoon front or Senior Staff club.
“We enjoin all members of the society, UNILAG students as always, the media, all Nigerian students irrespective of their campuses to come out en-masse tomorrow by 8am and exercise their rights to disagree which is recognized in law and in fact.
“We believe that as stakeholders in the affairs of the University, our interests must be protected.
It is clear that the Professor Ogunsola-led Management has proven to be recalcitrant and disrespectful to such interests but we will prove to it that we are committed to the struggle and a people united can never be defeated.”