By Shamsudeen Abubakar
Students at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) are now grappling with an unexpected financial burden after the school management announced a hike in hostel fees for residents staying in the university’s halls of residence.
Before this, a student was paying ₦15,000 for a hostel which accommodates eight students per room. However, with the sudden 60% increment, each student will be paying ₦24,000, totaling ₦192,000 per room, which has posed a great financial burden on students.
For Abdulrahman Babangida, a 400-level political science student, the hostel fee hike is a bitter pill to swallow.
“This ₦24,000 hostel fee increment has become a substantial financial strain on us. In the previous years, the hostel fee was N10,500 and ₦15,000, which was manageable with our limited financial resources,” he lamented.
Abdulrahman who had seen the hostel as a haven that provides basic necessities like water and electricity, now sees it as an unaffordable option due to recent increase. However, he believes the high increase has forced many to seek alternatives, more expensive off-campus accommodations.
“This increment has made many of us seek shelter elsewhere, adding to our financial woes,” he explained. “The economy is not buoyant, and I wish there was no increase. That additional money could be used to purchase foodstuffs that would last a long time.”
Abdulrahman pleaded with the school management to reconsider the fee hike, citing the difficulties students face, particularly final-year students working on their projects.
More Ordeals
Abdulrahman is not alone on this, Alliyu also lamented that the hike affected his budget forcing him to reallocate funds.
In his words: “ It affects my budget because I didn’t plan for it. There should have been a notice from the management before the increment,” he said that he had to leave some items for the hostel accommodation.
Like Aliyu, Sharafdeen Aisha, a 300-level student of the science and vocational department expressed her distress over the hostel fee increase. According to her, she had budgeted ₦15,000 for the accommodation, but she met the shock of her life when she heard from her friends that hostel fee had been increased to ₦24,000, which made her to hustle and add more money.
“My first priority is food. Had it not been for the school increasing the hostel fee, the additional money would have gone a long way in sustaining her foodstuffs,” she added.
For Abba*, a concerned student frustrated over the recent fee hike felt that it was unjustified , considering the limited space provided. “Paying ₦24,000 for a tiny space like that is expensive,” he lamented.
Abba suspected the fee increment might be due to the stable electricity supply. “If the light remains stable, I might understand the increase to be the reason, but there are no noticeable improvements” he added.
Abba complained that many rooms lack basic amenities like fans and sockets, which students already paid for in their hostel fees. He emphasized that the fee increases should be accompanied by tangible improvements.
“It’s reasonable to increase fees, but students should see corresponding upgrades and changes,” he concluded.
A Different Story from Muhammad Ridwan Uthman
The hike in the hostel fee made Muhammad Ridwan, a student, reconsider his accomodation options. He expressed his feelings with the increased fees of ₦25,000 for a hostel he described as “ untidy and dilapidated.” Ridwan argued that he could find better value for his money by sharing a room with a partner for ₦60, 000, which would be more conducive and comfortable for him.
“I have decided to stay at the back of the stadium hostel with my friend, even though he hasn’t arrived yet,” Ridwan said, recalling on his visit to the hostel, which he found to be scantily occupied, with most of the few residents being illegal occupants. He urged the management to find a solution to the increments, emphasizing the need for affordable and decent accommodation for students.
Dean Student Affairs Wades in
In an interview with the Dean of Student Affairs, Professor Umar Aliyu, he stated that the hostel fee increment comes directly from the management of the school.
“I don’t know the reasons for the hostel fee increment,” he said. “We are not the ones that add the hostel fee and we don’t know the reasons for the additions.”