There has been a surge in tuition for both new and returning students at the University of Ibadan, causing much fear and unrest among the student body. Students, lecturers, and other stakeholders have responded significantly noting that the increment is an unhidden attempt to commodify and commercialize education – to price students, who chose the University of Ibadan on that basis out of its gates.
From our lens, the University of Ibadan Students’ Union leadership has not picked the issue as a cardinal concern and with a corresponding resilience, as expected. If there has been anything else to point to, it would be the fast-approaching payment of deadline and the unwarranted victimization of three students who demonstrated against the fee hike. To be fair, the peak of the Union’s check on the issue of fee increment, in recent times, has been the fatigued announcement instructing students to halt payment until the Union wins.
Various stakeholders have also advised students not to pay the new fees. In response to the mounting pressure, a committee was constituted to review the fee structure. All for nothing. However, despite these efforts, the fee hike remains an enduring issue, with students expressing their frustration and fear that education has become increasingly unaffordable.
A nonviolent demonstration took place at the University of Ibadan on Monday, May 13, 2024, at the installation of the newly elected Student Union officials. Three Uites peacefully and quietly protested in lieu of the newly announced fee increase, by simply raising placards, calling for a reversal of the outrageous fees. This courageous and resilient deed was intended to raise awareness to the financial strain that the new fee automatically place on students. The three students’ non-disruptive and nonviolent way of voicing their concerns made the action memorable, drawing public concern. They carried placards which urged for a re-examination of the fee increase, and for emphasis, without interfering with the inauguration ceremony. Their non-verbal protest pronounced an opposing standpoint to what they and other numerous students perceived as an unfair and burdensome increase.
Although the protest was nonviolent, the University’s security personnel moved in at the tail end of the Union president’s inaugural speech. They dragged the dissenting students from the hall and were turned over to the Nigerian military detachment. Many people felt that this harsh reaction was an unjustified, excessive measure taken against students who demonstrated their right to free speech and peaceful assembly. After the three students were arrested, the University administration took further punitive action, by sending them query letters on May 27, to face the Student Disciplinary Committee (SDC) panel on Tuesday, July 2 2024.
Worthy to note, the three students’ experiences have populated consequences that go beyond their own situations. Their treatment without caution conveyed a frightening message to all students, indicating that protesting in any way, even peacefully, can have dire consequences. This has suppressed students’ participation and free speech, and has undermined the democratic ideals that ought to guide the University as an establishment.
The fixity of the plan to raise tuition is incredibly unfair in the face of Nigeria’s economic distraught. Education is an essential human right as it plays a major role in both individual and societal growth. But as the price of higher education rises, this ideal becomes only available to those with the means to pay for it. This problem is made worse by the University of Ibadan’s recent fee increase, which ordinarily puts many students and their families out of the reach of higher education.
The prey of the fee hike policy are students themselves. Many students at the University of Ibadan come from middle and lower income families. The increased financial demands as per charged fees would force them to make tough choices. Some may have to cut back on essential expenses such as food, accommodation, and study materials, while others might be compelled to take on part-time jobs that turn aside their academic focus and performance.
The long-term implications of the fee hike are equally troubling. Education is meant to be an equalizer, providing all students, regardless of their economic background, with the opportunity to succeed. However, increasing tuition fees widens the gap between the wealthy and the impoverished, reinforcing poverty and inequality. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to drop out or not enroll at all, limiting their future employment prospects and economic mobility.
In the fight for egalitarian education, the University of Ibadan’s decision to raise tuition is a step backward. It puts profit ahead of students’ well-being and calls into question the University’s dedication to diversity and accessibility. Instead of being a privilege only available to those with the means, education is a right. The administration of the institution must immediately review this choice and look into other funding options that won’t put an excessive load on students and their families. A very worrying pattern of stifling dissent and restricting free expression within academic institutions has come to light with the recent detention and mistreatment of the three University of Ibadan students. Unjustified force and punitive measures were used against these students, who were merely exercising their fundamental right to peaceful protest against the university’s fee hike.
A democratic society’s cornerstone, peaceful protest is an essential way for people to voice their complaints, push for reform, and hold authority responsible. It is a fundamental human right that is protected by a number of international and national legal frameworks, such as the Nigerian Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This freedom was clearly exercised by the students who raised signs in silent protest of the fee increase. Their demonstration was a respectful request for the University management and the Government to reevaluate a decision that may impact the futures of numerous students; it was neither violent nor disruptive. The freedom to protest is essential for creating an atmosphere where ideas can flow freely and where students can grow to feel empowered and responsible for their actions, particularly in educational settings. The University of Ibadan has conveyed a message to all students that dissent would not be tolerated by detaining these students, in addition to violating their rights.
It is essential to respond swiftly and empathetically to the concerns expressed by the students and to right the injustices they have experienced in light of the recent events at the University of Ibadan. This editorial criticizes the university administration for reconsidering the fee increase, holding meaningful and transparent discussions with students, releasing the demonstrators who were detained right away, and dropping all charges against them. In addition, we implore the public and the University community to support justice and equity in our educational institutions and to show sympathy with the students.
The current situation at the University of Ibadan calls for a united response from the entire University community and the broader public. Students, faculty, alumni, and concerned citizens must come together to stand in solidarity with students affected by the fee hike and the subsequent repression of their rights.
Currently, the University of Ibadan is in a crucial situation. The choices taken in reaction to the current crisis will affect the institution’s long-term dedication to fairness, justice, and the defense of fundamental rights. We demand that the University administration reevaluate the fee increment, stoop to engage students, and move clear the demonstrators who were arrested and are in view being victimized. We reiterate our commitment to the values of accessibility, diversity, and human rights within our educational institutions by uniting with the students and fighting for justice. In order to maintain education as a right that is available to everyone, the University of Ibadan must accept this challenge and show that it recognizes and respects the opinions and rights of its students.
