In a letter dated 30th of March, 2025, the Council of Hall Chairpersons sent a notification of proposed increment in basic in hall dues through the office of the clerk to the Student Representative Council (SRC), University of Ibadan.
The proposal was to negotiate an increment of basic hall dues from 3,000 Naira to 5,000 Naira across all halls of residence for the subsequent sessions. In the notification, they explained that the reason behind the proposal was after careful consideration of rising maintenance costs, improved hall services, and enhancement of overall welfare of students in the halls. ‘Over time, the current fee has proven insufficient to meet essential expenses, including sanitation, security, and infrastructural maintenance, which are critical to ensuring a conducive living environment for students.’ The letter explained further.
The Council of Hall Chairpersons are seeking an opportunity to engage the SRC and explain their rationale while they explore measures to make the increment justifiable to the student body. Recall that the UCJ reported a similar story weeks before the resumption of last session, stating that the SRC rejected the proposal to raise the basic hall dues from 3,000 Naira to 4,000 Naira. In that article, it was stated that honorable members disapproved the increment on the grounds that it would be unfair to the students who are already victims of the current harsh economic reality.
Aside from the fact that it was a failed attempt last session, while it has been almost a year since that time, the economic reality has only been worse with more people not being able to afford to stay in school. This increment, no matter how insignificant it may seem to many, still defeats the resistance to hike in fees. It is another attempt at increasing the dues by an even larger percentage and the student body are expectant of the SRC’s decision, this time.
