SPECIAL REPORT: The Academic Struggles of Students in OAU and UI
Federal institutions once regarded as the hope of the common man and symbols of Nigeria’s academic pride now mirror the decay creeping through the nation’s public education system. A close look at the big names in the circle, University of Ibadan (UI) and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), reveals students battling rising tuition fees, crumbling lecture halls, overcrowded classes, and a teaching culture stifled by rushed lectures and vanishing continuous assessments.
In lecture rooms where bats perch on broken ceilings, live inside empty speaker boxes, many students juggle side hustles to survive, paying tuition that rivals a month’s minimum wage, while receiving lectures in poorly ventilated halls. For them, the struggle for education has become a contest between endurance and ambition, a painful reflection of how Nigeria’s foremost institutions are losing the excellence they once promised.
Tuition Hikes and Financial Burden
“The only reason my father allowed me to come to OAU was that the tuition fee was very cheap. The OAU tuition fee for the 2019/20 academic session was only ₦19,800, about ₦3,000 higher than my secondary school fees. Federal institutions are the last hope of the common man like us,” said the erstwhile GreatIfe Students’ Union President, Omoboriowo Damilola (Dr Bush), in a video posted on his X (formally known as Twitter) page, in July 2025.
Federal universities, like OAU and UI, which were long considered citadels of affordable education where children of common men, market traders, and low-income earners, could acquire tertiary education. That promise has gradually crumbled under successive tuition hikes.
“Every Nigerian citizen must be educated at public expense to the limits of his natural ability, to enable him to be in the finest possible state to produce the utmost he is capable of.’— Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1955).”
The architect of the recent increments in all Nigerian universities is widely believed to be the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), a student loan scheme reintroduced in 2024 by the incumbent President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu. It was designed as an alternative to direct educational subsidy and promoted as support for underprivileged students.
In OAU, the tuition fees that hovered around ₦5,300 in 2011, rose significantly by over 270% increase in 2014, with the tuition fee raised to ₦19,700. Fast forward to 2023, another increment was introduced, with Humanities (the lowest-paying faculties) billed as high as ₦76,000, representing a rise of more than 250 percent.
When compared with the national minimum wage of ₦18,000 (2011), ₦30,000 (2019), and ₦70,000 (2024), the imbalance is quite severe: fees have grown faster than wages, consuming 29% of a worker’s pay in 2011, 109% in 2014, and over 250% in 2023. Even with the new ₦70,000 wage in 2024, tuition alone still equals more than a full month’s salary, excluding the reintroduced ₦30,000 sundry fee imposed after a failed increment strongly opposed by the Students’ Union.
Following the recent increments, OAU introduced an installment payments structure, allowing students to make payments twice, after negotiation with the student unions. Yet, the burden remains crippling for families already weakened by inflation and shrinking incomes.
Students now live in survival mode rather than in pursuit of academics, engaging in side hustles, with students moving from one business to another, both physically and online, while some still depend heavily on their family. This results in an academic environment where study time is traded for hustle and focus, divided between survival and learning, the once sacred promise of affordable education slipping further away.
At the University of Ibadan, the story is no different. The fee hike began in 2023 when newly admitted students for the 2022/2023 session paid more than the previous set. It started with increased acceptance and hostel fees, followed by the introduction of utility charges and a higher technology fee. University authorities argued that federal funding for education had shrunk and the nation’s economy had been destabilised by the removal of fuel subsidies.
Consequently, UI students under the 2022/2023 Students’ Union administration led by Samson Tobiloba demanded a Congress to discuss the hike and related issues. Although the call was initially ignored, a later meeting produced no result as union executives refused to confront management. By the 2023/2024 administration led by Aweda, students took to the streets to protest what they described as dictatorial management and poor welfare consideration.
The university responded by sending students home for three weeks, and some protest leaders were victimized and suspended. The “Auspicious team” 2024/2025 SU Executive Council led by Odedele Covenant was no different as the NELFUND loan scheme became a major option to paying off institutional fees.
However, it is worth noting that despite the student loans, many students are still sponsored by their parents. While some of them refused to apply for the loan because it is anti-student, some other students did not apply because of its technicalities.
Students’ Views on Tuition Hikes and Financial Burden
Dada, a student from the Faculty of Social Sciences at OAU, raised by a single mother, said he chose the institution because it was once affordable.
‘One major reason why I chose OAU, even though I was not offered my preferred course, Law, was that it was more affordable,’ he said. When I gained admission in 2020, tuition for returning students was about ₦20,000 to ₦25,000, but by my second year, it jumped to over ₦100,000 before being reduced to ₦76,000 after protests.’
He explained that the sudden hike forced him into multiple menial jobs.
‘‘I worked in the block industry and organized tutorials on campus to support myself. Being raised by a single mother made it harder, but I never took a job that stopped me from attending classes. When the NELFUND loan became available, I applied in my third year and received tuition support only. I avoided the stipend because I wanted to be cautious.’’
A nursing student from the College of Health Sciences in OAU described the situation as mentally and financially draining.
‘’Our school fees were increased to ₦209,000, and it placed a huge burden on me because I fend for myself,’’ she said. ‘‘Sometimes, even during lectures, I am thinking of how to pay my fees and accommodation. Every naira goes into survival, not comfort. The loan helps a little, but the quality of education does not justify what we pay.’’
Ayomide Tobiloba, a student of the University of Ibadan, said he refused to apply for a student loan.
‘‘A loan is a debt that must be repaid. It makes students debtors from a young age. The increase has affected my feeding and transport. Sometimes I can barely afford a balanced meal.’’
He added that his parents often borrow to pay his fees and that the poor learning conditions do not match the cost.
‘’In my faculty, we have a few buildings; sometimes we take lectures under staircases or in open spaces. The chairs are broken, and the fans do not work. Lecturers rarely come to class, and practical courses are barely conducted.’’
Abdullahi Yusuf, a medical student in UI, recounted that each student pays ₦275,550 as school fees and ₦75,000 as professional fees, yet the facilities remain outdated.
‘‘We paid ₦100,000 for lab fees, but if we broke anything, we were told to pay again even though the apparatus was old and fragile,’’ he said.
The Nigerian anthem promises to hand to the children a banner without stain. Yet how can that promise be kept when students are driven out of school by rising fees, and the labours of the nation’s heroes past seem forgotten in education policy decisions?
Diversion from the Standard Condition of learning
Across the University of Ibadan (UI) and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), students are grappling with academic inconsistencies that disrupt learning and fairness. From deviations in the academic calendar to uneven grading systems across departments, these give way for a system where order and structure often are inconsistent, which makes the learning environment marked by uncertainty, stress, and unequal expectations.
There is also the burden of bulky lecture notes being rushed within a short lecture window, causing overcrowded timetables, cancelled classes, and a congested academic calendar, where they often compress weeks of content into a few classes, forcing students to sit down with tiring pages of material PDFs within a short period of time. The pace leaves little room for deep understanding, turning study sessions into late-night marathons of cramming, rather than meaningful learning and practicalization.
Despite the high fees, the condition of learning is nothing to write home about. While many lecturers need to give some answers for accountability, one can also not ignore the short-staffing issues in these institutions, where lecturers are handling courses they were not formally trained to teach, and massive violations of the NUC lecturer-to-student ratio of 1 : 30 with many classes as high as 1 : 200 and more
At OAU, Dada, a 400-level student of Broadcast Journalism, explained that while most lecturers announce their grading structures at the beginning of the semester, there is little uniformity— “assessments in most cases often consist of 30 marks for tests, 10 marks for attendance, and 60 marks for examinations,” he said. “However, some lecturers replace tests with assignments, while others do not conduct continuous assessments at all.”
Dada further noted that returning students have learned to adapt to each lecturer’s teaching and grading style, but new students often struggle to adjust. “The challenge is that every lecturer has their own method,” he added. “Students just have to pay close attention to instructions to avoid missing marks.”
For Funmi Ayomide, a Part 3 student of Sociology and Anthropology at OAU, the tight academic schedule has compounded the problem. “There was very limited time to prepare for tests,” she said. “Sometimes, two tests were fixed for the same day, and I had to read for multiple courses within a short period.” According to her, the compressed timetable often leaves students overwhelmed and exhausted, with little time to understand what they are taught.
A biochemistry student offering CHM 101, a general first-year course offered in the faculty of science in OAU, with many other faculties also offering it, which in turn is a course being offered by many departments, and thousands of students confirmed that only 3 lecturers took them through the entire semester
Olawole Daniel, a Law student in UI, described how deviations from the academic calendar and inconsistent lectures disrupt the learning process. “Since 200 level, I’ve struggled to keep up because most courses are bulky and we have only eleven weeks of lectures,” he said. “A course we went four weeks without lectures later affected everyone because no test was conducted for it.” He stressed that bulky notes cannot replace proper teaching. “As students are rushing, lecturers are also rushing to finish topics. If the calendar were longer, we would have more time to read and understand.”
Similarly, Ayomide Ige, a medical student, noted that compressed teaching and irregular scheduling are common in his faculty. “We rarely have enough time to prepare for tests or examinations. A colleague once said that a lecturer covered in two hours what should take a month to study. It’s stressful, but lecturers are also under pressure to meet deadlines.”
For Ayobami Daramola, another UI Law student, unpredictability adds to the challenge. “Most of the time, before a lecturer gives an impromptu test, he warns it could come at any time. A serious student must therefore be prepared.” However, he admitted that sudden tests still take many by surprise. “When a lecturer suddenly announces a test, about 90 percent of the class may fail because they’re unprepared.”
Late Admission: Starting Behind the Line
The struggle is even harder for newly admitted students who were admitted late, when lectures and practical sessions are at their peak. Many of these freshmen attend classes and practicals, leaving them chasing the moving train, grasping for adaptability to new surroundings, and at the same time, complex concepts and bulky notes at once, while struggling to also get accommodation. With no structured support to help them catch up, these fresh students are left gasping for breath, trying to understand what others have long moved past.
This result in a cycle of exhaustion and anxiety that makes academic life feel less like a journey of learning and more like a relentless contest of endurance, and this makes most students miss important orientation programs, have academic issues, and end up with a 1.0 – 3.0 CGPA with many carryovers to torment the rest of their stay on campus.
Reacting to this, a biochemistry student from OAU’s 2023/2024 session recounted how resuming late left him far behind. “I missed a lot of classes and notes. I was still hoping to gain admission when others were preparing for tests,” he said. Although the university later extended some deadlines which he admitted was still a disadvantage. “We wrote the same exams as those who started weeks earlier.”
A student of Communication and Media Studies in OAU also explained that lecturer shortages further disrupt the academic rhythm. “A few lecturers handle multiple courses, sometimes miss classes and even go off topic, many students now rely on online resources.” He added that late admission, especially for Direct Entry students, is a major setback.
Matthew, a student from the Department of Linguistics, sharld a similar experience. “My admission wasn’t confirmed until the closing date. By the time I resume, tests were near, and I had missed many lectures. I tried catching up through several tutorials and late-night reading though, yet I still struggled. However, by the second semester, I resumed early and performed better,” he added.
State of Lecture Halls
Lecture halls and classrooms are spaces designated for academic engagement. Ideally, they should be conducive for learning, equipped with functioning chairs, fans, projectors, air conditioners (AC), public address (PA) systems, and electrical sockets for students to charge their devices.
In OAU, reality tells a different story. The poor state of classroom facilities remains a visible struggle for students, with most seats damaged, air conditioners non-functional, and many lecture halls left without renovation or proper assessment for years. The negligence reached a tragic point in May 2024, when the ceiling of the Amphitheatre collapsed during SER 001 (Use of English) lecture, injuring several students.
OAU Amphitheatre During the tragic event 
The newly renovated OAU Amphitheatre Beyond this, almost all lecture theaters lack functional public-address systems, leaving students straining to hear their lecturers. Built-in speakers that once worked now lie idle, relics of when the theatres were newly commissioned. In some cases, students have resorted to contributing money to buy microphones and PA systems just to keep lectures going. This reality is particularly disheartening given the sharp rise in tuition fees and the widening gap between academic costs and the national minimum wage.
Although the 2023 TETFund intervention brought modest improvements to certain lecture halls on OAU campus, numerous lapses persist —from poor ventilation and broken chairs to overcrowded halls far too small for the growing student population.
A single lecturer is often left to handle large classes without adequate teaching aids. Although some blame lecturers for poor class engagement, many overlook the fact that they also work within the limited resources provided by management and the federal government. For large courses like PHY 101 and CHM 101 often held at 1,000 Seaters LT, over 4,000 students attended the lecture, before being moved to be held virtually, as a result of the congestion, as students barely see what they’re being taught, not to talk of understanding it.
The poor maintenance of these classrooms has discouraged attendance among students who now see lectures as a struggle rather than a space for meaningful learning.
At the University of Ibadan, the situation is not better. Many lecture theatres remain in poor condition, with broken chairs, leaking roofs during the rainy season, offensive odours from open windows without nets, and non-functional ACs, projectors, ceiling fans, public address systems, and sockets. Some lecture halls have been in use for over 40 years without renovation, even though the university continues to collect utility and maintenance fees from students each academic session.
Overcrowding is another recurring challenge also in UI. Several lecture theaters can no longer contain the increasing student population, making them uncomfortable and unsafe for learning.
Sharon, a student from the Faculty of Education in UI, compared her faculty’s lecture theater to a deserted space inhabited by animals.
‘’There is a foul smell in the lecture theatre caused by bats living there. The last time I checked the LLT windows, there were no nets,’’ she said.
She urged the university management to assist both students and lecturers by fixing essential facilities such as chairs, windows, and fans.
Olajide, another student from the same faculty in UI, lamented the overcrowded lecture halls, especially during general studies classes.
‘Overcrowding is a serious issue. For some courses, you must arrive very early to avoid sitting on the floor. It affects concentration,’ he said.
Taiwo, a student from the Faculty of Technology in UI, expressed concern about the absence of public address systems in his faculty.
‘The Faculty of Technology is large, with many departments and students. Teaching general courses without a public address system is like wasting time. Students struggle to hear lectures, even the serious ones among us,’ he said.
[Image of TLT, UI]
Michael, from the Faculty of Arts in UI, wondered why facilities in his faculty deteriorate so quickly.
“We can hardly hear our lecturers because the public address systems are not used. The facilities spoil fast,’’ he said.
Independent observation by Indy Press also revealed that, although the new Faculty of Arts building has public address systems installed, many of them are currently not in use.
ALSO READ: SPECIAL REPORT: Inside UI and OAU Public Hostels
OAU Student Union Speaks
In an interview with the Vice President of the Great Ife Students’ Union, Falade Iyanuoluwa, she emphasized that the university management is addressing the challenges faced by freshmen, particularly those who gain late admission and miss vital academic information.
She explained that discussions are ongoing with the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) to make the admission and resumption processes smoother and to ensure that timely information reaches new students. According to her, this was one of the reasons for the delay in the resumption of freshmen for the 2024/2025 academic session.
Iyanuola further noted that welfare efforts extend beyond returning students to include freshmen. She acknowledged that some problems such as late departmental transfers and poor communication, are institutional but maintained that the union remains in consistent engagement with management to resolve them.
On the issue of Standard Conditions of learning, she disclosed that the Union has met with faculty deans to ensure departments maintain proper assessment structures and fair grading systems. Efforts are also underway to create a feedback mechanism through which students can report classroom experiences and promote accountability.
Regarding overcrowded timetables, cancelled classes and rushed lectures, the Vice President admitted that these problems affect students’ academic performance. She, however, assured that meetings are ongoing with management to find lasting solutions.
Overall, she expressed strong concern about these academic challenges and reiterated the Union’s commitment to working with the administration to improve both student welfare and learning conditions.
The Dean, Division of Student Affairs
In a discussion with the Dean, Division of Student Affairs, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Prof. John Odedire, acknowledged that recent intervention programs had improved classroom facilities on campus. However, when asked about TETFund-sponsored lecture halls that still lack functional sound systems and remain overcrowded, he explained that those facilities had already been “captured for attention.”
‘The University administration has captured them; we are only waiting for the necessary enablement. You know there are processes and procedures in how the system runs. The University is not an individual property, and the development has been captured, indeed, beyond what can be imagined—and it has been presented as a need that must be addressed,’ he said.
He explained that the delay in completing some of the improvements is linked to funding procedures, adding that the University is making efforts beyond government intervention. Many recent infrastructural upgrades, he noted, result from collaborations with private individuals and industries rather than federal allocations.
The Dean cited the ongoing construction of two buildings within the Division of Student Affairs as examples, both sponsored by private donors. Plans for a third building are also underway through similar partnerships.
‘These are part of deliberate outreach by the University administration to ensure continuous improvement of the campus environment,’ he noted.
Addressing concerns about the congested academic calendar, the Dean clarified that the situation mostly affects freshmen. He said the administration has made arrangements to adjust the schedule so that no student is left behind.
‘It is not really about congestion but about how we can manage the academic calendar effectively. We discovered that if too many activities begin while some students have yet to resume, it could negatively affect academic performance,’ he explained.
UI Students Union Speaks
In an interview with the Students’ Union President, Adeboye Temidayo Sewanu on April 3, 2026, he asserted that an official statement has been issued from the union acknowledging students’ concerns on poor lecture halls conditions.
“I had to make a release yesterday because In fact, I have been to about five lecture theatres on the University campus and sometimes I had no option than to ask the students to just vacate because of the population and ventilation; students themselves were not comfortable,” Deboye said.
In addressing these persistent concerns of poor lecture theater conditions, crowded lecture rooms and ventilation concerns, Deboye noted that several meetings have been held with the Faculties management on the persistent concerns.
“We have had several meetings with some Faculties management where they made immediate solutions such as separating the faculties that take those courses rather than having too many faculties taking the same course together,”
“We work on having multiple lecturers taking the same course on different days. For example, if five faculties are taking a course like Mathematics, we can have two to three faculties per day; they are divided rather than taking the five together.”
Speaking on the state of some lecture rooms, the SU President noted that efforts are being made by the union to ensure the renovation of some lecture halls.
“We have started pushing that those lecture theatres be renovated to ensure that they are more conducive in terms of sitting areas, the projectors and the Public Address System.”
“These are projects that we have started pushing to the Vice-Chancellor and the University management. We will ensure that a permanent solution is made subsequently,” he assured.
On hectic lecture schedules and its impact on students’ mental health, Deboye mentioned that mental awareness activities are being carried out to solve that problem.
He added, “we just had a hall visitation where we addressed them that this is not too hard. That’s why the University said students are required to have just 75 per cent of attendance. You don’t have to show up for all the classes, you can always rest if you feel like it.”
Effort to obtain comments from the UI Dean of Students, Professor Demola Lewis on some persistent issues faced by Students in the university was unsuccessful as of the moment this filling.
Note – Names of respondents as characters in the story have been changed to guarantee safety.
Video Credit: AFAS PRESS
ABOUT
This special report was jointly produced by Icons Organization, OAU, and IndyPress, UI. This story was months-long evaluation of the current academic struggles in the two institutions. It was co-authored by in-house correspondents of the aforementioned campus organizations. This project is published under the banner, titled THE INSIDER.
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