February 17, 2025

Unilagsun

Serving the university community

FSS Dean Urges Students to Face Common Enemy

By: Mighty Oluwayemi, Esther Nkama, Kehinde Tijani, Shalom Jessica and Oluwadimimu Mercy

Dean, Faculty of Social Science, Professor Adelaja Odukoya, In an interview with UNILAG Sun, explained the reasons behind the increase in fees by UNILAG. He urged students not to direct their frustration at the university administration, but to recognise that the real issue lies with the government, which he described as a common enemy.

He emphasised that the government is a common enemy, noting that the school is a federal university yet, lacks proper funding and attention from the government. He added that the school is cutting costs in several ways and trying its best to generate income.

Prof. Adelaja highlighted the expenses of the school, using the electricity bill as an example, “the school electricity bill only came down from 480 million to 190 million per month due to the absence of the students on campus. Due to the increase in expenses, the school is left with no choice but to increase the fees.”

He compared student associations to the university administration, noting that both are facing challenges due to rising costs. He mentioned, “The SOSSA president came here to discuss raising SOSSA dues because expenses have increased, but just a few days later, they planned to protest against a fee hike.” 

Amid tight financial situations, Odukoya discussed ongoing and completed projects within the faculty. He acknowledged the shortage of classrooms and assured students that plans are in place to address the issue. He presented the architectural drawings for proposed new buildings that will house offices and classrooms, which are currently awaiting the Vice Chancellor’s approval. 

Additionally, he mentioned that various renovations and repairs are underway, “recently, the toilets were fixed, and there are plans to repair the faculty’s CCTV systems.”

Discussing students who overlook certain courses due to their low employment prospects, Odukoya stated, “It is not about the course you study, but what you do.” He emphasised that those who take initiative and engage in various activities are more likely to achieve success. He urged students to participate in extracurricular activities in addition to their classroom learning.