Federal Government Must Intervene Urgently in UNILAG’s Accommodation Crisis

In recent times, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has garnered national attention due to the growing crisis of student accommodation. The limited availability of bed spaces for students who wish to reside on the Akoka and Idi-Araba campuses has reached a critical point, one that demands the immediate intervention of the federal government. All who believe in the value of education must speak up for the Nigerian students whose only offence is the pursuit of knowledge.

The challenge of accommodation in UNILAG is not new. It dates back to the 1970s and 1980s, but as the university has expanded in population, programmes, and faculties, the problem has worsened to alarming levels. Today, the situation has reached a peak that calls for emergency action if the sanctity of education in the ivory tower is to be preserved.

With over 35,000 undergraduate students across 19 faculties, UNILAG can no longer cope with its paltry provision of roughly 10,000 bedspaces. This figure—covering both public and privately managed hostels—is grossly inadequate for a university of its size and stature. As Nigeria’s university of first choice and the nation’s pride, UNILAG students should not be subjected to daily hardship simply because they lack access to on-campus accommodation.

The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, has noted in several fora that hostel accommodation is a privilege and not a right. While this position is understandable within the context of limited resources and space constraints, we strongly believe that any institution charged with grooming the leaders of tomorrow must prioritize the welfare of its students. We also acknowledge the peculiar nature of UNILAG’s landscape, where expansion is both difficult and expensive. However, these constraints only strengthen the case for federal government intervention.

The pressure on limited on-campus accommodation has been further worsened by the rising cost of off-campus housing and transportation. Renting a basic one-room self-contained apartment in Akoka and the surrounding areas now costs between one million and two million naira when all charges are included. In Abule Oja, the closest community to the Akoka campus, annual rent ranges from N700,000 to N1.5 million, with many accommodations exceeding this range.

These figures are far beyond the reach of students from average-income families. Accommodation is a basic necessity, not a luxury, and the government cannot continue to treat it as an afterthought. If addressed decisively, the accommodation crisis would significantly reduce the persistent problem of hostel racketeering within the institution. The buying and selling of bedspaces thrives largely because of desperation; scarcity creates a market where exploitation flourishes.

While we commend the university management for recent efforts to curb hostel racketeering, such measures only address the symptoms, not the root cause. Without a substantial increase in available bedspaces, these practices will inevitably resurface. A sustainable solution requires a holistic approach that prioritises students who genuinely need accommodation and expands hostel capacity within a reasonable timeframe.

We therefore call on the federal government, led by President Bola Tinubu, to wake up to its responsibility and commit adequate funding to the construction of affordable public hostels across federal universities in Nigeria. UNILAG, as one of Nigeria’s flagship institutions, should lead this transformation and not be a subject of disrepute due to accommodation challenges.

Education thrives where dignity is protected. Nigerian students deserve better, and the time to act is now.