UNICAL Students Protest Hike In Tuition Fees, Block Major Road In Calabar 

Students at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) have gone to the streets in protest of a tuition price increase of more than 100 percent.

The University of Calabar (Unical) convened a meeting over the weekend where the decision to raise tuition rates was made.

According to the University’s PRO, Mr Effiong Eyo, the tuition fee increase was approved at an emergency meeting of the University Senate on Friday.

The release stated that the implementation of the upward review takes effect from the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions.

Findings showed that with the increase fresher’s, returning students and the final year students for the non science courses are expected to pay N111,000, N91,500 and N114,000 respectively.

They are also required to pay N36,500, N21,500 and N21,500 respectively as third parties dues.

In the same vein students for the science courses was increased to N155,000, N125,000 and N148,000 respectively for fresher’s, returning students and final year students.

In a likewise manner, they are also to pay N38,500, N21,500 and N21,500 respectively as third parties dues.

However, in the early hours of Monday, Student’s of the institution took placards with various inscription to protest the hike of tuition fees as well as other charges asking the management to rescind its decision.

Some of the inscriptions include, return to the old fees, bring back our old fees/ charges , We can’t afford the news fees, UNICAL SUG , wake up ” amongst others.

The student who matched round the school premises and took their protest to the Main gate of the school causing traffic gridlock along Etta-Agbor and Mary Slessor road in calabar Municipality LGA.

Findings showed that before the increment, tuition fees for an average student, depending on the department, was N64, 050 for fresher’s, N52,050 for final year and N49,500 for the returning students.

The management explained that the increment was necessitated by the current economic realities and the need to maintain the academic standard which the University was known for.