Protest breaks out in UNICAL over fees increment

Students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) break out in protest over a hundred percent increase in the university’s tuition fees for undergraduates in the early hours of Monday

The students gathered at the Malabor Square which houses the Students Union Government secretariat and from there moved to the female hostels bearing placards with various inscription to protest the hike of tuition fees as well as other charges asking the management to rescind its decision.

Read more: UNICAL increases tuition fees by over 100%

Some of the placards with various inscriptions read: “Florence Obia, UNICAL is not a private university, which one is ‘slight increment’, say no to billing”, “UNICAL VC, stop forcing girls into prostitution”, centre“this is a federal university, not a business center,” "UNICAL VC stop encouraging boys into Yahoo", among others.

The announcement on the increment was made in a statement made on Monday, where the institution’s spokesman, Mr Effiong Eyo, said the upward review of the fees was taken at an emergency meeting of the university’s Senate on Friday.

See also: TASUED Students Stage Protest Against Tuition Fee Increase

The release disclosed that the implementation of the upward review of the fees will take effect in the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 academic sessions.

In regards to the increment, freshmen, returning students, and final-year students for the non-science courses are expected to pay N111,000, N91,500, and N114,000, respectively, they are also to pay N36,500, N21,500, and N21,500, respectively, as third-party dues.

Recommended: UNICAL Announces Slight Adjustment in Undergraduate School Charges

Similarly, fees for science courses were increased to N155,000, N125,000, and N148,000, respectively, for freshmen, returning students, and final-year students, they are also to pay N38,500, N21,500, and N21,500, respectively, as third-party dues.

Before the increment, tuition fees for an average student, depending on the department, were N64,050 for freshmen, N52,050 for final year students, and N49,500 for returning students.

The management noted that the increment was necessitated by the current economic realities and the need to maintain the academic standard which the university was known for.