Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, has increased its school fees by 168 per cent of the previous charges.
The university is currently the second-best university in Nigeria queuing behind the University of Ibadan as rated by the Times Higher Education in its latest world universities ranking. It is also one of the universities in the country that always record the highest numbers of candidates seeking admission.
The new fees, which is N 67, 048.50 against N25,000 (representing 168.2 per cent) of the previous charge per session, is applied only to the incoming students for the 2020\2021 academic session and those who would be coming after them while the old students will continue to pay the old fees till their graduation.
The coordinator of Centre for Information Press and Public Relations of the university, Mr Ademola Adekoya, confirmed the fees increment to Tribune Online on an interview, on Friday.
He said the increment which had been approved by the Governing Council of the university was a decision jointly taken by all the stakeholders in the university including the students and various staff unions.
He said the increment became necessary for the university to be able to meet the increasing financial obligations that would further lead to its progress.
He said the state government as the proprietor could not all alone raise enough funds to sustain let alone improve the quality of services being delivered by the university.
He said the university had maintained the old fees for many years and would not be able to cope again on its mandates satisfactorily should it retain the old fees.
He said every student of LASU irrespective of course of study is now being engaged in rigorous training on one entrepreneurial skill or the other that would equip them to stand on their own economically even before graduation.
He said the increment would have even been higher if based on the quality of services being rendered by the university but for children from poor homes to also benefit.
Thenigerialawyer
