Emmanuel OchayiThe University of Lagos (UNILAG) has recently instructed its students to arrive on campus with their own mattresses and personal items.
Alhaja Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, UNILAG’s Head of Information Unit, shed light on the rationale behind this directive while speaking to journalists on Wednesday.
“We asked the students to come with their own bedding materials for health reasons. That has been the practice for some time. It is not new,” Alaga-Ibraheem explained.
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She went on to clarify that the directive was a result of ongoing renovations in the hostels to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for students.
UNILAG is currently in the process of renovating various hostels, with some expected to be upgraded before the students’ resumption later this month. Those hostels that may not be fully renovated in time will continue to receive attention as the semester progresses.
In response to concerns about the hostel fees, which were initially raised and subsequently adjusted, Alhaja Alaga-Ibraheem stated, “As for the complaints that the hostel fees should be enough for the school to provide those items, we all know the situation in the country and the cost of items. N65,000 for instance as a hostel fee for a year is not expensive going by what people pay for private accommodation.”
She also emphasized that the management is dedicated to ensuring the students’ welfare and is making every effort to create a comfortable on-campus experience.
This unconventional approach by UNILAG raises questions about the balance between cost-effective measures and student comfort, shedding light on the challenges faced by institutions in the current economic climate.
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