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School Fees: Trouble Looms As NANS Writes UNILAG, Demands Immediate Reversal
The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has written the management of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, requesting a reversal of the recent increment in school fees.
UNILAG had in a statement dated July 20, 2023, increased fees for undergraduate students in the institution following a meeting by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, UNILAG branch, and top management staff.
The union, in the statement, said the VC stated that fees would be increased for UNILAG undergraduate students.
As per the increment, students of the institution studying medicine who previously paid N19,000 will now pay N190,250 while for courses that require laboratory and studio, students are to pay N140,250.
NANS in the letter addressed to the Vice Chancellor of the institution lamented that the increment was not done in good faith and cannot stand.
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The letter signed by the Public Relations Officer of the body, Comr. Giwa Yisa Temitope reads: “It is with all sense of duty, and patriotism I write to address the wave of fee increments I have come across on pages of newspaper about the University of Lagos which is my institution of study.
“Without boring you with unnecessary rhetoric, I want to state categorically that the increment was not done in good faith and as such CANNOT stand. It is embarrassing that the University management took an arbitrary decision to increase sundry levies being paid by the students without consideration and consultation with the official representative of students.
“To be clear, we are not oblivious of the age-long suspension of independent students’ unionism in UNILAG – an unacceptable situation NANS under our leadership is committed to reverse. But this however does not constitute a good enough reason for the university authorities to take a decision that would have far-reaching effects on the studentship and future of students without the decency to consult them through their official representatives, which in the absence of a union structure, is the NANS.
“Though, if consultation were to have been done, as students, we would have still argued against fee increment because it is obviously an attempt to deny thousands of students access to education.
“As much as it is public knowledge that successive administration has failed to properly (I don’t want to use the word ‘fully’ because they have obviously not been funding it) fund education, the students and their suffering parents must not be made to carry the brunt of governmental failure.
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“Global statistics have shown that Nigeria has 133 million poor people and tops the chart of unemployment with 33.3%. This is not just alarming but should be very worrisome to every Ivory Towers.
“No wonder, even senior workers in the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (SSANU) at UNILAG cannot pay the new fees, as it is shown in their statement made available to the management and public. So, which parent can afford these obnoxious fees?!
“The same way lecturers are stakeholders in the University campus is the same manner students are major stakeholders. Without students, there cannot be a university. Hence, they must be consulted before any action is taken in the University. Unfortunately, that was not done.
“I am, by this writing, on the mandate placed on me by Nigerian students, demanding an immediate reversal of the levies that have been introduced. I also demand that whatever payment that must have been made by students to this effect must be reversed with immediate effect.
“If and when the management sees the need for any increments, students should be called to the roundtable. However, we reject all the so-called palliatives rolled out thus far. As thinkers, we prefer to prevent sickness instead of taking pills.
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“With this letter, we are asking all students of UNILAG not to pay a dime more from the old fees. We are also by this letter informing the authorities of our intention to pay a visit to the institution on Wednesday 2nd August 2023, to hold a congress of UNILAG students where all issues pertaining to the welfare of Nigerian students will be discussed.
“Should the management wish to take the opportunity of our presence in the institution on Wednesday to meet and discuss with students leaders about issues pertaining to the increased fees, we would be very much happy to make ourselves available.
“We thank the management for your audience. We promise to keep being as serene and intellectual as ever!”
VANGUARD
News
N5m, N10m Zero-interest Loans: SheVentures Opens Applications For Women Entrepreneurs
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to ₦10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.
The facility provides loans ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million under a general category, and ₦5 million to ₦10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.
At the centre of the offering is a 0% interest rate, with all charges embedded in a transparent structure.
Repayment is structured over four or six months, allowing businesses to match obligations with their cash flow cycles.
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Yemisi Edun, Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.
“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively.
“Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.
This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs.”
“Access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs,” said Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
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“By removing the cost barrier and offering quick, flexible funding, this zero-interest loan is designed to safeguard existing jobs, enable businesses to invest in growth initiatives, and foster resilience in challenging economic conditions.”
Women-owned businesses account for a significant share of Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises but continue to face high borrowing costs and limited access to credit.
Through these efforts, SheVentures tackles persistent financing gaps facing women-led businesses, combining targeted funding with broader support to empower women entrepreneurs, encourage business innovation, and enhance their ability to compete on a national scale.
Applications for the zero-interest loan are now open.Apply now.
News
Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria
Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.
He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.
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“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.
He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.
“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.
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“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.
DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.
News
IGP Orders Officers Display Name Tag On Uniform, Gives Update On State Police
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has ordered all police personnel to always have their name tags on their uniforms for easy identification.
Disu disclosed that only police personnel who are undercover are exempted from displaying their name tags.
Speaking on Tuesday, Disu said: “All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard.
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“All the Commissioners of Police are here and that is why we called this meeting, we have list of things like this that we will want to discuss with the Commissioners of Police, we have told them earlier and we will still let them know that every that happens within their area of jurisdiction falls under their control.”
On the issue of state police, the IGP said: “Since we got the signal that the Federal Government of Nigeria intend to establish State Police and since we are the federal police, we decided to take the bull by the horn and put down our own side of what we believe on how the state police should be run.
“A lot of things were taken into consideration, a lot of comparative analysis was done and it has been transmitted to the National Assembly.”
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