NANS Issues 7-Day Ultimatum To UNN Management Over Fee Increase

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, South East Zone F, has given the Governing Council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, seven days to cancel its recent tuition fee increment.

The students’ body, in a statement entitled “NANS South East Zone F Condemns Outrageous and Unilateral Fee at University of Nigeria, Issues 7-Day Ultimatum for Total Reversal”, said failure to comply with the directive would lead to the disruption of academic and administrative activities in the university by NANS. The statement was signed by its Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Obi, and Secretary General, Comrade Oga Lawrence.

According to NANS, “We demand the immediate and total reversal of the recent fee increment. Both the acceptance fee and tuition fee must be returned to their previous status quo ante.”

The body also demanded an enhanced management-student-community engagement. It mandated the UNN management to “establish transparent and inclusive dialogue mechanisms”, adding that “Decisions pertaining to student welfare and financer must no longer be made unilaterally.”
NANS also demanded a commitment to improved student welfare on the UNN and UNEC campuses of the university, as well as “addressing long standing issues of infrastructure, security and learning conditions”.
It warned that failure of the Governing Council and management of UNN “to meet these demands after the expiration of the ultimatum on the 16th January 2026, the university administration should prepare to face the greatest mass action it has ever witnessed”.
Quoting NANS, “We are resolved to mobilise every legitimate means at our disposal, including a total shutdown of academic and administrative activities until justice is served and our demands are met to the letter. Consequently, all students and prospective students of UNN are hereby directed to halt the payment of any fee whatsoever pending the resolution of this impasse.”

Meanwhile the Executive Body of the Students’ Union Government of UNN has called on the students of the institution to remain calm while efforts are being made to resolve the recent fee increase by the university management.
The executive body in a memo dated January 11 2026, with the subject, “Addressing the Tension Surrounding the Proposed School Fees Increment and the Way Forward”, said the clarification was to reduce the tension the increment had brought to the students and parents.
It read, “We sincerely acknowledge your concerns and take full responsibility for our inaction. We have been engaging constructively with the various stakeholders at different levels to come to terms with a common understanding. We are happy to report that the rising tension from the students, and the pressure from the SUG has propelled the management to call us back for further negotiations on this matter, and we promise to make demands that prioritise students’ welfare and at the same time, promote the university’s development.”

The Exco appreciated all concerned students, student leaders, opinion leaders, action leaders, leaders of thought, and other external bodies willing to intervene through protest oru any other means possible, but demanded that such actions be put on hold.
“We make sincere demands that every such plan should be halted as we are recording progress with our dialogue with management,” UNN SUG said, adding that, “Any uncoordinated approach would stall the progress that we have made so far.”

The body added, “The SUG is not party to any proposed protest, as we have an understanding that peaceful dialogue remains the best bargain in times like these, and anybody leading a strike without allowing the SUG to complete its dialogue will be summoned by legal authorities. We reiterate that management has heard our cry, and is listening. We call for total calm as we have engaged constructively with management and are coming to an understanding that fosters the progress of all parties involved.”

THE WHISTLER reports that the university management increased the university’s tuition fee from around N90,000 to about N240, 000 for fresh students.