As the accommodation crisis intensifies at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka campus, private operators have stepped in to provide alternative housing, but their prices may be unaffordable for many students.

A recent investigation revealed that rents for private hostels range between N250,000 and N500,000 per year.

Some of these private hostels are developed under Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) agreements, while others are fully owned by private developers. The accommodations range from single apartments to mini flats, with some rooms even equipped with air conditioners. For example, El Kanemi Hostel, a BOT project, charges N250,000 per room annually.

One source disclosed that a hostel developed by the Women?s Society offers en suite rooms with air conditioning, with each apartment going for as much as N800,000 per year.

Many parents have expressed concern that these high rents are out of reach for the majority of students, further increasing pressure on the limited number of spaces available in UNILAG?s own hostels. Last academic session, the university had fewer than 8,000 accommodation spaces for nearly 40,000 students.

Speaking on the issue, the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Nurudeen Obalola, clarified that the university charged N43,000 per bed space in its dormitory-style hostels last year. He explained that due to rising student populations and limited infrastructure, universities are increasingly relying on private operators to fill the accommodation gap.

?Universities are moving away from directly managing hostel accommodations because we are not building new hostels every year while student numbers keep increasing,? Prof. Obalola said. ?For instance, construction of the El Kanemi Hostel stopped at some point, and private operators had to step in under a BOT arrangement to complete it. They need to recoup their investment, which is why the prices are higher,? he added.

Prof. Obalola added that while the school cannot guarantee the hostel fees will remain the same in the upcoming session, it is committed to keeping costs affordable. ?We charged N43,000 last session, and from that, we even gave hall leaders some money for their hall anniversaries. I can?t confirm the fee for next session, but it won?t exceed what students can reasonably afford.?

He further explained that the university faces significant operational costs. ?Even when students were not on campus, the electricity bill was around N400 million per month. Who knows what it will be when students return??

Prof. Obalola concluded by pointing out the challenges of off-campus living. ?Rents around the university are not cheap, and commuting from home is costly due to high transport fares. Staying on campus is the more convenient and cost-effective option.? (Vanguard)

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