CONCERNS have emerged at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, after a class message surfaced directing students of a particular department to pay ₦16,100 for a compulsory course manual, ICIR has learnt.
In the message obtained by The ICIR, a class representative informed students of the commencement of payment for a CHM 102 manual, providing bank details and warning that failure to comply could affect record-keeping of payments.
“This is to officially inform all Exaltatus that payment for the CHM 102 Manual has commenced… Amount: ₦16,100,” the notice read, adding that students must upload proof of payment and submit receipts through designated channels.
Reacting to the development, a source who spoke to The ICIR described the situation as part of a broader pattern of exploitation targeting students in the institution.
“Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University have been under extreme extortion by the lecturers, especially the Year 1 (100 level) students,” the source said.
The source further questioned the scale of the charges, particularly given the size of affected classes.
“Imagine a class of more than 5,000, and sometimes 10,000 or more, buying soft copy handouts (ceremoniously called manuals) for N16,000,” the source added.
According to the source, the manuals are digital that cost significantly less to produce, raising concerns about the amount being generated from students.
“That’s whooping N10 million to N20 million for an item that costs less than N500 to develop and distribute in such volumes,” the source said.
The source also alleged that the fees have steadily increased over time, from about ₦5,000 to ₦10,000 in earlier semesters to the current amount, with students left with little choice but to comply.
“Sadly, the students and parents do not have ways out but give in,” the source stated.
Call and texts sent to the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olanrewaju were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
Recall that the the Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria, ASUU, had expressed displeasure at the mandatory sale of handouts by some lecturers in tertiary institutions.
Biodun Ogunyemi, former President of the union, expressed this view in a previous interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.
“It is not wise for lecturers in our tertiary institutions to compel students to be buying handouts, though it is not a widespread practice; we have few people that are misbehaving.
“But the system has a way of handling them, so anywhere they see them they always put them on check.
It is not permitted in the system and there is a structure for tracking and dealing with that so ASUU as a union don’t condone it and we discourage it anywhere and everywhere we go,” he said.
However, many Nigerian students still suffer silently in some tertiary institutions where lecturers extort money from them in the name of selling of handouts.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.
This is quite thoughtful. I believe information like this can go a long way in curbing the exploitation of under graduate students, especially those in 100 level who are often the most valuable.
Thank you for this insightful and timely report.