Open University Students Stage Massive Protest Over Fees Hike

Another school-fees-hike 'volcano' has  erupted as students of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) staged a protest midweek after a recently announced upwards review of their fees.

The NOUN administration's decision to increase the tuition fees from N58, 000 to N115, 000 was enough to ensure that the students caught the protest fever sweeping across the country.

On Tuesday, the placard carrying students converged at NOUN's Benin City study center  chanting protest songs.

They demanded  that the management immediately revert to the old fees, vowing to remain resolute in their quest.

An AllAfrica report quoting a student source said the Lagos campus of NOUN will stage a similar protest. If that is replicated all NOUN’s campuses all over the country, then a major ‘volcano’ is definitely erupting.

In Nigeria, the year 2014 has witnessed several students protests as several Nigerian institution hike their fees in what now seems like a choreographed action.

Students in Obafemi Awolowo University are still digging it out with the management while their counterparts at the Lagos State University (LASU) have scored a major victory in form of a marginal downwards review, which they have subsequently rejected.

Joining then in the struggle are several other institutions across the country where students have grounded activities as they demand a review of the hiked fees.

One of such anti-management protest has left the Student Union Government President of the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Comrade Sunday Ekeyokpa, in critical condition after a clashes with security personnel.