UNILAG Students Hold Second Protest Against Tuition Fee Increase

Once again, students from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have taken to the streets, marking their second protest within a week to express their discontent with the recent tuition fee hike at the institutions, in solidarity in their counterparts from other universities. Chanting slogans, the protesters gathered to emphasize the pressing need for the university authorities to reconsider the fee adjustments. The demonstration saw a notable presence of both the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Students participating in the protest were resolute, vowing to continue their demonstrations until their school fees are reverted to their previous levels. They argued that the fee increases lack empathy and place undue financial burdens on them. In addition to their demands for fee reduction, the students called upon the Federal Government to channel the funds generated from subsidy removal towards investments in education, rather than allowing further fee hikes. UNILAG had previously announced the tuition fee increments for both new and returning undergraduate students in July, citing the prevailing economic conditions as the rationale behind the decision.

Subsidy Removal: NLC declares 2-day warning strike

The Nigeria Labour Congres (NLC) has declared a two-day warning strike, beginning on Tuesday, September 5, in protest against the Federal Government for failing to address the challenges caused by the removal of fuel subsidy. The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made the declaration on Friday during a press conference at the Labour House in Abuja, while speaking on resolutions by the NLC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting the previous day. The labour union is accusing the Federal Government of abandoning the negotiations and failing to implement some of the resolutions from previous meetings with the government. On August 2, organised labour protested what it described as the anti-people policies of the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their affiliate unions demonstrated in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and several states, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo. The protest followed a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government demanding “the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government including the recent hike in PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) price, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers”. The union also demanded an upward review of the minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000, saying that since the President’s “subsidy is gone” inauguration speech of May 29, 2023, the peace of mind of Nigerians has gone. Several meetings between the Presidency and the unions on palliatives for Nigerians suffering hardship in the wake of the petrol subsidy removal proved abortive. Last month, NLC president Joe Ajaero argued that the N5 billion approved for each state and the FCT to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal was inadequate to impact on the people. Ajaero had argued that if calculated, the N5 billion would not amount to N1,500 per person. According to him, it is unclear whether the money is a loan or a palliative to the states or to Nigerians. “The first increase in the pump price of petroleum products and the last one moved a lot of people from the borderline to a very high level of poverty,” he said. “Now, if you calculate it, you will discover that this will not translate to N1,500 per person and you ask: is that the impact? Is that really what we want to achieve? Let’s assume it’s a loan. What is really going to happen? Is it garbage in, garbage out? “If it is N5 billion, I think organised labour would want anybody to do the calculation and tell us how it is going to impact Nigerians on what is happening currently. If it is a loan, then it is too bad.”