PREMIUM TIMES reported how OAU joined other public universities to hike school fees a trend that has attracted protests across some campuses.
The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile-Ife, Osun State, has announced a reduction in the recently increased school fees for students.
A statement by the university's spokesperson, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the fee reduction was an outcome of hours of meetings between the university management and the students' union.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported how OAU joined other public universities to hike school fees in a trend that has attracted protests across some campuses.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) also slashed its fees after students protested and the university met with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
Following the success of a dialogue at UNILAG, NANS vowed to engage other universities that recently increased school fees.
Although the OAU management started meeting the student union last week, this newspaper gathered it also met with the leadership of NANS last Thursday.
Reduced charges
At Monday's meeting, Mr Olarewaju noted that the students' union was adamant about a 50 per cent reduction but that the university management maintained that the new charges were the minimum the university required to run efficiently.
"In a rare show of administrative magnanimity, the authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, have readjusted downward the sundry charges payable by the students of the University," he said.
"This followed the meeting the University management had with the leadership of the Students' Union on Monday, 25th September 2023."
The university stated that the charges for students in humanities have been slashed from N89,200 to N76,000 for returning students and N131,000 for new students.
For students in the sciences, the fees were reduced from N101,000 to N86,000 for returning students and N141,000 for new students.
The university has also agreed that students can make payments in two equal instalments.
"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," the statement said.
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"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 statement added that the university management has agreed that the payment can be in two equal instalments and that the university portal is now open to students for payment.
Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe
