Almost Dropped Out: UNILAG Student Who Returned Stronger

By Afolabi Barakat and Jacinta Emeka

There were moments when Mary believed her journey at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) would end quietly, not with a convocation gown, but with a deferred session and unanswered questions.

The 2024 increment in obligatory fees came at a time when her family was already stretched. As a Law student, the pressure was constant. Missing a semester felt dangerously close to becoming permanent.

She was not alone.

Across campus, many students faced similar fears. Rising tuition, accommodation costs, transportation expenses, and academic pressure combined to push some to the edge. For a few, the thought of leaving UNILAG became a real possibility.

Gbemisola, a 300-level Mass Communication student, remembers that period as emotionally exhausting. Between coursework, a small business, and family expectations, continuing school felt overwhelming. What kept her going, she said, was the realisation that survival in university now required more than intelligence. It demanded emotional endurance, financial discipline, and support.

For Mary, persistence came in layers. She sought mentorship, applied for every scholarship opportunity available, and worked part-time when she could. The fear never completely disappeared, but it no longer defined her choices.

By the time she graduated, she did so with fulfilment — an outcome that felt symbolic of more than academic success. It was proof that survival itself had become an achievement.

University records from the 2023–2024 academic session show that over 750 indigent students received scholarships, while about 170 benefited from the Work-Study Programme. These interventions, though limited, became lifelines for students navigating financial uncertainty.

Still, institutional support only tells part of the story.

What sustains many students is the quiet decision to keep showing up — to attend lectures after sleepless nights, to study while worrying about fees, and to believe that leaving is not the only option.

As UNILAG students continue to navigate economic pressure and emotional strain, stories like Mary’s reflect a generation that refuses to disappear quietly. Graduation, for them, is not just an academic milestone. It is evidence of resilience, endurance, and the courage to return stronger.