Students of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) in Kwara State have expressed concern over what they describe as an “unjustifiable and outrageous” increase in tuition fees for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The students who spoke to SaharaReporters accused the school’s management of exacerbating their suffering amid Nigeria’s economic crisis and the continued failure of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to improve living conditions for citizens.
Findings by SaharaReporters revealed that several departments within the institution have raised their tuition fees by between ₦70,000 and ₦150,000, depending on the course of study.
The increment, which students said came without consultation or explanation, has sparked widespread anger on campus, especially among those struggling to survive on meagre allowances from their parents or part-time jobs.
A student of Criminology and Security Studies, who spoke to SaharaReporters anonymously, said the new charges were “shocking and inconsiderate.”
“Last year we paid about ₦96,000, but this year our increment is more than ₦70,000,” the student said.
“It varies depending on the department. I’m studying Criminology and Security Studies, and the new fee is almost double what we paid last year.”
According to multiple students, the school management quietly uploaded the new fee structure to the university’s payment portal without any formal announcement.
Another student lamented the school’s “drastic and unfair decisions” that continue to make life unbearable for undergraduates.
“Over the years, there have been drastic decisions that have not favoured students. Here we are again with another increase in school fees for no reason being stated,” the student said.
“This is unfair to us. Imagine students paying ₦279,000 to study Agriculture. You have no fear of God who owns all souls. Is this how this will continue?”
Students Call Fee Hike “Inconsiderate”
For many, the timing of the increment could not be worse. With Nigeria’s inflation rate at a record high, the prices of food, transportation, and accommodation have more than doubled in the last year.
Limited Timeframe to Pay Fees
Parents and guardians are struggling to keep up, while most students rely on small stipends or low-paying jobs to sustain themselves.
“The funniest part is that the portal will soon be closed. Just two weeks’ deadline,” another student told SaharaReporters.
“We have just 11 days to pay before late registration starts from October 11 to 17. How do they expect people to raise that kind of money in this economy?”
Findings by SaharaReporters show that the new tuition structure varies by department. For example, students in the Department of History and International Relations will now pay approximately ₦156,000 per session, while students in the Department of Agriculture will pay ₦279,000.
Foreign students, meanwhile, have seen their tuition hiked to ₦1.2 million per session.
Some students accused the university of “profiting off poverty” and betraying its reputation as one of the most accessible public institutions in Nigeria.
“The management doesn’t care about our realities. How do they expect a student whose parents are civil servants earning ₦70,000 monthly to pay ₦200,000 suddenly?” asked a 300-level student of Education.
“Even private universities don’t increase school fees without due communication. UNILORIN has become a money-making venture, not a centre of learning,” the student added.
Many students who spoke to SaharaReporters said the school’s decision reflects a broader crisis in Nigeria’s public education system, where universities are increasingly underfunded, leaving management to shift the financial burden onto students.
“This is not just a UNILORIN issue,” said a final-year student. “All federal universities are quietly hiking fees because the government has abandoned education. However, we are the ones who suffer for it. They talk about youth empowerment while making it impossible for us to go to school.”
“And this has been the pattern since they introduced this NELFUND loan stuff. Instead of funding these universities, the government allows management to increase the fees arbitrarily, as they believe most of us will use the NELFUND to pay.
“This is not the true situation; not all the students can benefit from the NELFUND. We have many whose applications were rejected. Where do you want them to get the money to pay the N279,000 as tuition fees? Even those whose applications were accepted, the money will not be disbursed within the time of payment.”
According to tuition data obtained by SaharaReporters from students and internal sources, the new fee structure for the 2025/2026 academic session shows steep and uneven increases across nearly all faculties.
Agriculture students will now pay ₦278,888 per session, while those studying Computer Science are expected to pay ₦263,388. Students in the Faculty of Biochemistry are to pay ₦252,000, while Food Science majors are billed ₦284,888.
The situation is even worse for medical students, with those in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) paying approximately ₦389,000 per session, and Pharmacy students charged ₦406,888 per session.
These figures place the federal university’s tuition rates close to those of some private universities in Nigeria.
Further details reveal that students in Physiotherapy and Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) will pay ₦326,084 each, while students in Optometry and Microbiology are both billed ₦252,388.
For students in the humanities and social sciences, the story is not much different. English Education students will pay ₦234,064, Yoruba Language ₦259,064, Political Science ₦235,000, Criminology and Security Studies ₦239,000, Marketing ₦244,064, Linguistics ₦259,064, and Health Education ₦249,388.
Even departments traditionally considered less expensive have been hit with major hikes. Plant Biology now costs ₦255,888 per session, while Geophysics students will pay ₦249,000.
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