‘I may have to say goodbye to education’ — UI students lament 450–750% fee hike

Fresh students at the University of Ibadan have kicked against a recent school fee hike.

Seun (not real name), one of the affected students, told FIJ the development threatened his chances of getting a university education.

“I believe that the proposed incremease in school fees is unjust and can hinder the educational pursuits of many deserving students,” said Seun.

FIJ learned that fresh students joining the school’s 2023/2024 academic session are to pay between N203,000 and N412,000. According to the university’s student union, this increment represents about 450–750 percent of the previous fees.

When the University of Ibadan released its admission list for the 2023/2024 academic session some months ago, Seun’s joy knew no bounds. He was excited to have been offered provisional admission to study chemistry at Nigeria’s premier university.

However, he logged in to his student portal and was welcomed by a surprise on Wednesday. The fresh student, who had thought he would pay a little over N100,000 in his first year, discovered he would pay N278,500.