PUBLIC PROTEST ROCKS UNN

The proposed student protest at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) over the recent astronomical hike in school fees is not an act of rebellion, lawlessness, or ingratitude. It is a desperate cry for justice, equity, and the preservation of the founding philosophy of one of Nigeria’s foremost federal universities. UNN was established as a federal university, deliberately designed to be accessible to the children of ordinary Nigerians - farmers, traders, civil servants, artisans, and low-income earners. It was never meant to be an elitist enclave where only the wealthy can afford education while brilliant but poor students are pushed out of the system.

OVER 100% INCREMENT: A SHOCK TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS

The recent increment in school fees, running into over 100% in many cases has placed an unbearable burden on students and their families. For many parents, this increase came without adequate consultation, warning, or consideration of the harsh economic realities facing Nigerians today. At a time when:

Inflation is at historic highs

Fuel subsidy removal has crippled household incomes

Food prices are skyrocketing

Salaries remain stagnant or unpaid

Expecting parents to suddenly double or even triple school fees is both insensitive and unrealistic. For many families, UNN was chosen not because it was fashionable, but because it was affordable. That affordability is now under serious threat.

FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES ARE NOT PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS

It must be emphasized that UNN is not a private university. It is not run for profit. It is funded by public resources - taxes paid by the same struggling citizens whose children are now being priced out. Federal universities exist to:

Promote social mobility

Reduce inequality

Give equal opportunity to talented Nigerians regardless of background

Turning federal universities into de facto private institutions defeats their purpose and undermines national development.

A PAINFUL IRONY: YESTERDAY’S BENEFICIARIES, TODAY’S BURDENERS

There is a bitter irony that cannot be ignored. Those currently piloting the affairs of the university - administrators, policymakers, and senior decision-makers, enjoyed university education under far more favourable conditions. Many of them:

Paid very minimal fees

Studied under heavy government subsidies

Some even enjoyed completely free education

They rose to prominence through a system that was compassionate and inclusive. To now preside over policies that shut the door behind them is morally troubling. The question many students are asking is simple and legitimate:

If affordable education worked for you, why must it fail us?

THE PLIGHT OF THE STUDENTS

For students, this fee hike means:

Interrupted academic plans

Risk of dropping out

Increased mental stress and anxiety

Turning education into a privilege rather than a right

Many students already struggle with:

Poor accommodation

High cost of living in Nsukka

Transportation and feeding challenges

Adding exorbitant fees is akin to placing a yoke on a neck already bent by hardship.

THE SILENT SUFFERING OF PARENTS

Behind every protesting student is a parent silently breaking under pressure. Parents are:

Taking loans they may never repay

Selling farmlands and personal belongings

Choosing which child goes to school and which stays home

This is not sustainable. Education should not become a source of generational poverty.

PROTEST AS A CONSTITUTIONAL AND MORAL RIGHT

Peaceful protest is a legitimate democratic tool. It is not a declaration of war against university authorities or the government. Rather, it is an appeal to dialogue, empathy, and reconsideration. Students are not asking for luxury. They are asking for fairness. They are asking for human consideration. They are asking that UNN remains a university for the masses, not for elites alone.

A CALL TO THE UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

This moment calls for wisdom, not force. Dialogue, not intimidation.

Compassion, not silence. We call on:

The University Management

The Governing Council

The Federal Ministry of Education

The Federal Government of Nigeria

to urgently:

Review the fee hike

Engage student representatives meaningfully

Explore alternative funding models

Uphold the original vision of federal universities

CONCLUSION: SAVE UNN, SAVE THE NIGERIAN DREAM

The soul of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka lies in its accessibility, diversity, and commitment to national development. Pricing out the poor is not reform - it is regression. This proposed protest is not about anarchy.

It is about survival.

It is about justice.

It is about preserving the Nigerian dream that education remains the great equalizer. Let history not record that UNN abandoned the masses it was created to serve.