Academic activities at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, were disrupted on Monday due to student protests against the increase in tuition fees. T
he students gathered at the school gates early in the morning, blocking the main entrance and causing a traffic jam on the Akure/Ilesha road. They held placards with messages expressing their dissatisfaction and chanted solidarity songs.
The President of the FUTA Student Union appealed to the school management to reconsider the fee hike, citing the current economic challenges.
Despite multiple meetings with the management, their demands were not met, leading to the decision to stage a protest.
The school management responded by indefinitely postponing the resumption of the academic session and instructing all students to vacate the campus within 24 hours.
The school administration has announced that while tuition for students is free, there have been increases in certain consumables and payments for municipal services.
The Director of Corporate Communication, Adegbenro Adebanjo, clarified that the registration and fee payment for returning students for the new academic session has been put on hold. The proposed new fees and charges mainly pertain to student-related services that are sourced from the economy.
The costs of these goods and services provided by the university will be influenced by the costs in the economy.
The adjustments in costs also include medical examinations for new students, biometric ID cards, the Tertiary Institutions Students Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP), and the final yearbook. It is important to note that tuition remains free for all students, and the management is actively working to address student concerns and achieve consensus on matters related to charges and fees.
