Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have protested the school management’s decision to charge ₦10,000 for staying in hostels during the break. The new decision by the school management was announced as the September 7 evacuation deadline approached. Students and rights groups in the school have said they will resist the policy.
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC), OAU branch, condemned the move, calling it unfair and exploitative. The group argued that the fee would worsen the hardship faced by final-year students completing projects, those on teaching practice, health sciences students, and others who must remain on campus for academic work.
ERC also noted that many students believed the evacuation order was meant for long-overdue renovations, given the poor state of hostel facilities. Instead, they said, the introduction of an extension fee suggests otherwise.
The protest highlights growing student frustration over rising costs in public universities, with campaigners urging the school to prioritise students’ welfare over revenue generation.
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