Fee Hike Protests at UNILAG: Students Urge Government to Prioritize Education Funding
UNILAG Students Stand Firm on Fee Hike Issue
Faith Orji 
A student group based at the University of Lagos, known as the Students Solidarity Group Against Fee Hike, has emphasized that the Federal Government possesses the necessary resources to support public education.
During a press conference held in Ikeja, Lagos, the students asserted that the government could allocate funds for education, suggesting that lawmakers in the Senate should consider the purchase of Sports Utility Vehicles for its members to further this cause.
A statement issued by one of the leaders of the group, Adeyeye Olorunfemi, goes thus
"The demands of the #FeesMustFall movement remain sacrosanct. We have maintained that Nigeria has the resources for the government to fund quality and affordable education. The major constraint is the leaning of the government to neoliberal policies that do not prioritize investments in social services such as education and health of the people but finds it ‘economically wise’ to procure ‘N160 million’ SUVs for members of the parliament." He said.
READ MORE>>> Police Open Fire On UNILAG Protesters
Recent reports revealed that the Senate had defended the purchase of 360 SUVs for its members.
Last week, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project petitioned a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking to halt the delivery of the SUVs to lawmakers pending the resolution of injunction applications filed by the organization.
The Students Solidarity Group
The students also emphasized that their struggle against fee hikes is far from over, particularly at UNILAG, where the management recently reduced student fees following an earlier increase from N19,000 to N190,250, citing "prevailing economic realities" as the reason for the initial hike.
Furthermore, the students made it clear that the achievements and concessions gained thus far, including the fee reduction and the promise to reinstate the University of Lagos Students' Union, were not the result of benevolence from the university's management. Instead, they were the outcomes of determined efforts by the students, aided by media support and concerned Nigerians.
