The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, has announced a reduction in the tuition fees for its students, following a series of protests and negotiations with the students’ union. The new fees, which are lower by 15% to 18% depending on the faculty, will also be payable in two instalments.
The university had earlier increased the fees by 300% in September, citing the need to cover the rising costs of running the institution. The hike sparked outrage among the students, who threatened to boycott classes and stage demonstrations. The students’ union also demanded a 50% cut in the fees, arguing that the increase was unjustified and unaffordable for many students.
The university management, however, said that the new fees were the minimum required to run the university efficiently and maintain its academic standards. It also said that the fees were still lower than those of other federal universities in the country.
The vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Adebayo Bamire, announced the fee reduction after a meeting with the students’ union leaders on Monday. He said that the decision was a gesture of goodwill and understanding from the management, and urged the students to cooperate with the university authorities.
The new fees are as follows:
- For the students in Humanities, the initial sundry charges of N89,200 for returning students have been reduced to N76,000, while for the new students in the Humanities, the initial fees of N151,200 have been reduced to N131,000.
- For those in the Sciences and Technology, the initial charges of N101,200, for returning students is now N86,000, while the new students in the same faculties will now pay N141,000 instead of the initial N163,200.
- In the same vein, the returning students in the Pharmacy and College of Health Sciences will now pay N109,000, instead of N128,200. The new students in the same faculties will now pay N164,000 instead of the initial charges of N190,000.
The fee reduction has been welcomed by the students, who expressed their gratitude to the management and the students’ union for reaching an agreement. They also said that the new fees were more reasonable and manageable, and hoped that the university would improve its facilities and services.
The fee reduction is a rare example of a successful student protest in Nigeria, where many universities have faced funding challenges and academic disruptions due to strikes and unrest. The OAU students have shown that peaceful dialogue and negotiation can lead to positive outcomes for both the university and the students.
Source: Vanguard News
