UNILAG Denies Tuition Fee Increase

The management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has refuted media reports claiming that the institution has increased student fees for the 2025/2026 academic session, describing the reports as false.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the university’s spokesperson, Mrs. Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, clarified that UNILAG had not raised its fees but merely implemented a federal directive requiring all universities to harmonize approved statutory fees and dues— including those previously paid at faculty and departmental levels—into a single payment channel.

She explained that the move was made to comply with instructions from the Federal Ministry of Education for universities whose students benefit from the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme.

According to her, “What has happened is simply the consolidation of already approved fees that students used to pay separately at the faculty and departmental levels. These have now been integrated into the central payment portal.”

She added that the harmonization ensures that once a student makes payment through the official portal, no additional payments will be required elsewhere within the university.

Mrs. Alaga-Ibraheem emphasized that this unified system enables NELFUND to properly capture and process all student-related payments.

She also noted that fee amounts displayed on student portals vary across programmes due to specific academic requirements. “This variation does not represent a fee increase,” she said, “but an integration of previously separate, legitimate dues.”

The university expressed appreciation to students, parents, and stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation, reaffirming its commitment to excellence, transparency, and accountability.