UNILAG’s Request: Why Students Must Carry Their Mattresses to Halls

It seems that the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has stirred up quite the campus controversy with an unexpected request for its students.

This peculiar request? Bring your own mattresses and some personal items when coming to the halls of residence. The reason, according to university management, revolves around health concerns.

But this move has left both students and parents scratching their heads, especially in the wake of recent hikes in tuition, hostel fees, and other expenses.

A candid chat with Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, Head of the varsity’s Information Unit, shed light on the matter. She explained that these instructions to students are rooted in a drive to safeguard their health, citing that it has been the practice for some time.

Yet, she also disclosed that the university is in the midst of sprucing up its halls of residence as students prepare to return later this month.

Addressing the complaints about the new fee structure, Alaga-Ibraheem commented, “Those whose renovation works might not be completed before the students resume, we are going to continue to work on them. We are working to make the hostels conducive for the students.”

However, the bone of contention here is whether, given the newly introduced fee regime, the university should provide these essential items. After all, it’s not every day that you’re asked to pack your own mattress for your university stay.

But the university’s perspective is a bit different. Alaga-Ibraheem points out, “N65,000 for instance as a hostel fee for a year is not expensive going by what people pay for private accommodation.”

So, it seems UNILAG is striving to find a balance between cost-effectiveness and providing a comfortable campus experience.

Nevertheless, a disgruntled parent, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed disbelief, saying, “UNILAG is becoming a secondary school where students are asked to come to school with their own beddings. It’s unbelievable. This is a university that has just increased tuition and hostel fees.”

This predicament follows the recent adjustment in mandatory fees, including hostel charges. Initially, these fees surged from N25,000 to a range of N100,000 to N120,000, contingent on the type of hostel.

Yet, following strong opposition from students and parents, the university backtracked, revising the hostel fees to a more moderate range of N65,000 to N85,000.

To put this into perspective, consider that some private hostels near UNILAG, such as Emerald Suites, are charging as much as N184,500 per bed space for a four-person room and a cool N200,000 per bed space for a two-person room.

This raises important questions about the true cost of education and campus life in today’s Nigeria. Balancing affordability and comfort is no easy task, but is the university determined to find a way that works for both students and their financial bottom line?

Source: Vanguard