UNILAG reopens hostels for second semester exams despite COVID-19 surge

The management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has approved the reopening of hostels from August 26 — ahead of its second-semester examination.

The resumption also comes in spite of the rising cases of coronavirus infections and the deaths recorded in Nigeria in the past weeks.

In a statement on Tuesday, Oladejo Azeez, the institution’s registrar, said the management has also approved the commencement of the second-semester examinations physically on campus.

According to the statement, 100 and 200 level students will move into their allocated hostels on August 26 and vacate the premises by September 11.

It added that 300-level students will stay in the hostels from September 11 through 18 while 500-level law students are billed to stay in the halls between August 28 and September 5.

The statement said 400 and other 500 level students would move into the hostels on September 18 and vacate on September 26.

“On the authority of Senate, the university presents this schedule to accommodate legal occupants in the hostels for the in-Person 2nd semester 2019/2020 examinations,” it read.

“Eligible students are expected to abide strictly by the schedule and guidelines for admittance into the halls of residence.

“(They) must be registered for the 2nd semester 2019-2020 session, present coloured exam docket for 2nd semester 2019-2020 Exams, present a bottle of hand sanitizer (minimum of 500ml), present at least 10 face masks, wear face mask into and out of the hostels at all times, must use their allocated bed spaces.

“The schedule for accommodation for examinations is as follows: 100 and 200-level students with allocated bed space should move into the hostels from Thursday 26 August 2021 and depart on or before Saturday 11 September 2021.

“500-level faculty of law students with allocated bed space should move into their hostels on Saturday 28 August and depart on Sunday 5 September 2021.

“300-level students with allocated bed space should move into their hostels on Saturday 11 September and depart on Saturday 18 September 2021.”

The institution said students must ensure compliance with extant measures put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the hostels.

“Extant rules and regulations with associated penalties for hostel residency are still applicable and must be obeyed by all students,” it added.

The varsity had on July 14 asked students to vacate the hostels after it recorded an increase in the number of persons with COVID-19 infection symptoms.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Nigeria has reported 183,444 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 167,459 recoveries. It has also recorded 2,229 deaths as of August 17.