Hundreds of students at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka campus, took to the streets on Thursday, August 21, 2025, to protest a steep 40% increase in private hostel fees, with single rooms now costing up to ₦950,000 per academic session.
The demonstrations, marked by chants of “No to exploitation!” and “Affordable housing now!”, reflect growing frustration over the escalating accommodation crisis at the institution.
The fee hike comes as private hostel operators, filling the gap left by limited university housing, have raised rents significantly.
According to students, a four-person room that cost ₦500,000 last session now exceeds ₦710,000, while single rooms have skyrocketed to ₦950,000.
With UNILAG providing fewer than 8,000 bed spaces for nearly 40,000 students, many are forced to rely on private hostels, which are increasingly unaffordable.
A 200-level student, Chiamaka Okoye, expressed her dismay: “How can we afford ₦950,000 for a single room? This is a public university, not a luxury estate.
Many of us are struggling to pay school fees already.” The protests, centered around the university’s main gate, saw students blocking roads and holding placards demanding intervention from the university management.
The Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Nurudeen Obalola, acknowledged the crisis, noting that the university’s limited infrastructure has led to reliance on private operators.
“We charged ₦43,000 per bed space in our hostels last session, but with only 8,000 spaces, private hostels are inevitable. Unfortunately, we have no control over their pricing,” he said.
Private hostel operators, however, defend the increases, citing rising operational costs, including electricity and maintenance.
A manager at El Kanemi Hostel, a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) facility, stated, “We’ve invested in better amenities like air conditioning and security, but costs like power have gone up. We can’t absorb these expenses alone.”
Students have called for the university to regulate private hostel fees or expand on-campus housing.
“The government and UNILAG management must act. We can’t keep paying these outrageous amounts,” said Daniel Adebayo, a protest leader.
Tensions remain high, with students vowing to continue demonstrations until their demands are addressed.
The university’s Head of Communication, Adejoke Ibraheem, declined to comment on the protests, stating only that the management is “reviewing the situation.”
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