Reports are widespread across the country about indigent students committing suicides, withdrawing or abandoning learning due to poor finances and lack sponsorship sponsorship-related issues about their education.
The recent hike in tuition fees and astronomical cost of living has made living within and outside the school environment difficult for parents, students, and citizens in general.
It is said that students’ welfare is the responsibility of everyone working in the school community, and it is carried out in collaboration with parents.
At the outset of the nationwide announcement of a hike in tuition by public and private schools across in the wake of economic difficulty in the country, the management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), led by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, assured that as inevitable as the hike was, no student will drop out of school.
As the institution is walking its talk, the VC has disclosed that of the 32,778 undergraduate student enrolments, many are currently benefitting from one form of support or the other.
Speaking during a media parley, Professor Ogunsola in what appears to be an account of her stewardship for the year ending, said inadequate funding of the system forced the institution to seek new ways of generating revenue to meet financial obligations.
She said, “The raising of the obligatory fees was a difficult but necessary decision that had been taken even before the subsidy removal. This was to reduce the growing deficit. The fees still mean that the university can continue to subsidise the education.
“As of today over 32,778, undergraduate students have registered in both Akoka and Idi-Araba and I am glad to state that as we promised, no student has dropped out because of the increase in obligatory fees.
“To date, 765 indigent students have benefitted from various student support schemes including scholarships to cover obligatory fees, Adopt-an-Akokite, free meal ticket per day and work-study.
“We are to ease payment for parents and self-sponsoring students, we also introduced installment payments and as you all recall, we reduced the fees by N20,000 across the board after discussions with NANS and our Student Faculty Presidents.
“To support students, especially the indigent, we revitalised the work-study programme from 200/hour to between 500-1000/hour.”
Hinting further that as part of welfare measures to create a safe and healthy learning and working environment, protect mental health and prevent exclusion from learning, she disclosed that to ease the impact of the subsidy removal on transportation, the university partnered with Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to facilitate additional BRT dedicated routes to convey passengers from Berger Bus Stop axis and Oshodi/Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos State, respectively.
Since a healthy resident contributes to the learning experiences of students, the VC announced that the institution has commenced a comprehensive infrastructure upgrade and rehabilitation of Mariere Hall, saying the renovated structure will be available for occupation by January 2024.
She added, “More limited renovations were carried out in seven hostels, (Moremi, Fagunwa, Jaja, Makama Bida and Eni Njoku, Amina and Biobaku Hostels.). The rooms, windows, nettings, doors, ceilings, floor tiles and toilets are being repaired. The rebuilding of Block G of Moremi Hall is ongoing and work has also started on the rehabilitation of the Honors Hostel. Both renovated halls should be ready in 2024 to ensure that more of our students have succour from their daily commute. The approval processes for an additional 4 new student hostels are advanced. These hostels will be located both inside and outside the campus.”
Since universities exist to undertake many different types of research, from cutting-edge activity that leads to discoveries and breakthroughs, the VC said various Faculties have attracted a total research grant worth over N11, 511, 906, 630.20.
“The breakdown indicates research grants worth ₦228,386,139.50, £161,763.00, $8,777,466.62 and €493,890.00 respectively.
Various Faculties have been recognised for research studies. Prof. Njideka Okubadejo led a Nigeria research network working with other researchers globally that identified a gene that increases the risk for Parkinson’s disease in African populations. Bill Gates visited the Centre for Clinical Trials, Research & Implementation Science (CCTRIS) at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. In line with the vision to collaborate with the “town,” we launched the “Gown to Town” programme known as UNILAG in Town in the second quarter of last year with a theatrical performance by students from the university’s Creative Arts Department. The stage play, “Esu and the Vagabond Minstrels,” was the first attempt to highlight the creative abilities and outputs of university students and faculty at the Terra Kulture on Victoria Island in Lagos.
Speaking on the “Town and Gown” vision, Ogunsola said the reputation of the institution has continued to enlarge the kitty of donations and endowments from donors like the Havillah Group publishing company that donated books worth N20,000,000.00 to the University, while Total Energies donated laboratory and fieldwork equipment contained (in over 71 cartons) for training Geoscience students to understand and interpret ditch cuttings and mud logs obtained from wells during drilling operations.
“UNILAG was recently selected as one of the university beneficiaries of a professorial Chair Endowment Fund worth N30,000,000.00 by the National Communication Commission. The endowment is to enhance focused research activities and improve the quality of “industry-ready” graduates produced by the university in telecommunications and Social Sciences, areas that greatly impact the activities of the Commission and Telecom industry.
“Our efforts at advancing our contributions to industry development in Nigeria culminated in the strengthening of our collaboration with the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO). This has resulted in the Senate’s approval of a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Hydrographic Surveying.
She added, “We aim to ensure that we offer the best to our students and ensure we deliver on our mandate to produce future-ready graduates.”
Daily Independent
