FUTA Shuts Down Campus Indefinitely As Students Begin Protest Over Fees Hike

The management of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), in Ondo state, has shut down its campus indefinitely as students begin protest over school fees hike.

FUTA’s director of corporate communications, Adegbenro Adebanjo, was said to have issued a statement earlier confirming the university’s intention to raise the fees paid by the students.

Adebanjo clarified that the planned increase was necessary to cover student-related expenses and municipal services, such as electricity, water, hostel maintenance, and cleaning, considering the escalating cost of living.

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Displeased with the development, however, the students took over the main gate of the university, creating a blockade and preventing the passage of both humans and vehicles.

The Cable reported that the students insisted that the management revert to the previous fee structure.

The president of FUTA’s students’ union government, Olayemi Oluwasoromidayo, appealed to the school’s management to maintain the fees from the previous year.

Addressing journalists, Oluwasoromidayo mentioned that the student body had engaged in multiple discussions with the management regarding this issue, but their demands were not met.

He highlighted that the management had increased the fees to over N200,000 for new students, while old students who used to pay N35,000 would now have to pay N130,000.

The students’ union president declared that the protest would continue until their demands were addressed.

In response to the students’ protest, the FUTA management decided to indefinitely shut down the institution.

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It also ordered the indefinite postponement of the resumption of students for the 2023/2024 academic session.

Adebanjo issued a directive stating that all students who are currently residing on campus or in the university hostels must evacuate within a 24-hour period.

Additionally, the registration process for returning students through the university portal and the payment of fees, which were originally set to commence on January 15, have been temporarily suspended.