Campus Life: Navigating the accommodation options in UNILAG

By Morayo Koku

Finding an accommodation as a student at the University of Lagos can be daunting.

It’s the inevitable struggle faced by students who do not gear up adequately.

The University of Lagos admits over 4,000 students every new session. This equally means that there are thousands of students either balloting for a bed space on campus or seeking off-campus accommodation options.

The competition is tough especially to those new to the game.

This article is aimed to give a guide for those seeking a place to stay for the incoming academic session.

General Tips to Know

1. Start searching early: Although there is a defined period for balloting, it is advisable to search for a plan B accommodation to avoid being stranded if a bed space isn’t secured. Rather than being let down and scrambling to get a roof to sleep under during the academic session, an early search is beneficial because there is enough time to find an available accommodation within the budget.

2. Connect with other students: It’s advisable talking to students who stay on and off campus for recommendations as well as their personal experiences of residing in that accommodation. They might also be able to give you information about hostels or apartment openings, for example, they might let you in on someone who needs an apartment roommate. For people who don’t have any friend schooling at UNILAG, they can consider asking their friends and family if they know any unilag student or they can connect on social media with the use of discretion.

3. Set clear priorities: This is an important aspect to consider. It involves identifying the budget, privacy, hygiene, proximity to supermarkets and lecture-rooms, amongst others. On-Campus, there are private hostels and hostels that are not privately owned. Private hostels are much more expensive but offer some features which are not available in other hostels such as rooms having their bathrooms and so on.They are gender segmented as well. That means they are separated into male and female hostels. The mixed gender hostel which has male and female occupied in that hostel will only be stated and not buttressed upon.

The male hostels and their description include:

• Eni Njoku Hall: It is located around new hall. The Unilag Pharmacy, campus cabs pick-up areas and Unilag Shuttle station can be easily accessed from this hostel. The hostel is also close to food outlets and snacks shops, gadgets stores, ATM points, a commercial bank and so on.

The size of the room isn’t friendly to a lot of people therefore if there are several people congested in a space and no proper ventilation, this could be an area to be concerned about. The social media handle is https://www.instagram.com/eninjokuhallunilag/

• King Jaja Hall: It is named after Jaja of Opobo, the merchant prince and founder of Opobo in present-day River State. The faculty of Science, Engineering, Law, Art, Business Administration, Mass Communication, commercial banks and Health Centre are a short walkable distance from this hostel. There’s quick access to the cab shuttle station which provides transportation to the Faculty of Social Science, Distant Learning Institute, and the main gate.

The hostel is also in close proximity to food shops, gadget stores, several cyber-cafes, amongst others.

There are various room sizes ranging to 16-man rooms. The social media handle https://www.instagram.com/unilag_kingjajahall/

• Mariere Hall: This hostel is named after the first Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Jereton Mariere who was also the first governor of the defunct Bendel state. It is close to the King Jaja Hostel therefore shares the same location benefits as King Jaja Hall. It is closer to the Mass Communication department and has a quicker route to the faculty of Science, Engineering, Law, Business Administration, Mass Communication department. There are mainly 4-man rooms here. The social media is https://www.instagram.com/marierehall/

• Saburi Biobaku Hall: This has sizes that range up to 8-man room occupants. This hostel is in close proximity to the Faculty of Environmental Science and Education region. There are cyber-cafes, restaurants, and cab pick-up stations close-by that go to DLI. The social media handle is https://www.instagram.com/saburibiobaku.hall/reels/

• Sodeinde Hall (Undergraduate and Postgraduate): This is located in New Hall and can occupy about eight people. The Unilag Pharmacy, campus cabs pick-up areas and Unilag Shuttle station can be easily accessed from this hostel. The hostel is also close to food outlets and snacks shops, gadgets stores, ATM pointsg, a commercial bank and so on. The social media handle is https://www.instagram.com/sodeindehall_unilag/

The female hostels and their description include:

• Moremi Hall: This hall is named after Queen Moremi Ajasoro, who was a respected legendary Yoruba queen. It is the largest female hostel based on compound size. It has various sizes of rooms ranging from 4-man rooms to 10-man rooms. It is close to King Jaja Hostel. The faculty of Science, Engineering, Law, Art, Business Administration, Mass Communication, commercial banks and Health Centre are a short walkable distance from this hostel. There’s quick access to the cab shuttle station which provides transportation to the Faculty of Social Science, Distant Learning Institute(DLI), and the main gate. The Moremi Garden is also close to this hostel. It is a relaxation spot for people to network, eat and work. Their social media is https://www.instagram.com/moremihallunilag/

• Madam Tinubu Hall (MTH), Fagunwa Hall, Makama Hall: These are three separate hostels however they are all located around the new hall. The Unilag Pharmacy, campus cab pick-up areas and Unilag Shuttle station can be easily accessed from these hostels. These hostels are also close to food outlets and snack shops, gadgets stores, ATM points, a commercial bank and so on. The rooms in these hostels take an average of 4 occupants. The social media handle for Madam Tinubu Hall is https://www.instagram.com/mth_unilag/, and Makama Hall is https://www.instagram.com/makamahall_unilag/

• Kofo Ademola Hall: This hostel is in close proximity to the Faculty of Environmental Science and Education region. There are cyber cafes, restaurants and cab pick-up stations nearby that go to DLI. It is close to Saburi Biobaku Hall. It has large rooms. The social media handle of Kofo Ademola Hall is https://www.instagram.com/kofoademolahall_unilag/

• Queen Amina Hall: It is a 2-man to 4-man room hostel located in close proximity to the Faculty of Environmental Science and Education region. There are cyber cafes, restaurants and cab pick-up stations that go to DLI. The social media handle of Queen Amina Hall is https://www.instagram.com/queenaminahallunilag/

• Honours Hall: This hostel is located on the outskirts of the school’s main activity area. This results in a quiet environment with less activity on-going. It is close to DLI and a campus station that provides transport to the Main Gate, Faculty of Social Science, and “campus” drop-off area where the region hostels like Moremi Hall, King Jaja, and Mariere Hall are found. The social media handle is https://www.instagram.com/honourshallunilag/

• Unilag Women Society Hostel: This hostel is located between the Distance Learning Institute (DLI) and Honours Hostel. This is a private hostel located at the size of room ranges from 1-man room to 8-man rooms. Find more information on their website at https://ulws.org/hostel/ Mixed hostels (Both genders)

• El-KANEMI

• Henry Carr Hall

• Erastus Akingbola Hall

Every hostel has its pros and cons so it is advisable to research adequately on the good, the bad and the ugly when selecting a hostel. Consider asking questions about hygiene, quality of water, bed bug control and the like.