AAU to resumes activities Oct 3 — after shutdown over fee hike protest

The senate of Ambrose Alli University (AAU) has directed the resumption of full academic activities in the state-owned institution “with immediate effect”.

AAU earlier suspended activities due to the protest occasioned by the upward review of its fees.

The university management, in an emergency meeting on Friday, reviewed its earlier directive suspending academic activities.

Otunba Aladenika, the university’s head of communications, in a statement, said the AAU senate has now revised the academic calendar for the 2022/2023 academic session and approved October 3 for resumption.

“The senate therefore directs that students return to the halls of residence on Sunday 1st October 2023, while lectures are scheduled to commence on Tuesday, 3rd of October, 2023,” he said.

Public universities in Nigeria have been raising their fees since the dawn of the Bola Tinubu administration.

This has resulted in campus protests seeking a reversal of the hikes.

At AAU, the protest led to a shutdown of activities and the dissolution of the varsity’s student union government.

Among the federal universities that have raised their fees are the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), and the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo.

Others are Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi and the Usmanu Danfodiyo University (UDUS).