Protests have erupted at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) over announcement of 100 per cent hike in tuition fees for undergraduate students.

Following the announcement of the tuition increase, the students convened at Malabor Square, where the Students Union Government secretariat is located, before marching to the female hostels carrying placards.

Some of the placards bore messages such as: “Florence Obia, UNICAL is not a private university, what’s with the ‘slight increment’? Say no to billing,” “UNICAL VC, refrain from pushing girls into prostitution,” and “This is a federal university, not a business center,” among others.

Recall that UNICAL‘s management announced the fee hike in a statement released to the press in Calabar on Monday, following an emergency meeting of the university’s Senate held on Friday.

This increase affects freshers, returning students, and final-year students in both science and non-science courses.

For non-science courses, the fees increased to N111,000, N91,500, and N114,000, respectively, for freshers, returning, and final-year students.

Additionally, third-party dues of N36,500, N21,500, and N21,500, respectively, are to be paid.

Correspondingly, fees for science courses escalated to N155,000, N125,000, and N148,000, respectively, for freshers, returning, and final-year students.

These students also face third-party dues of N38,500, N21,500, and N21,500, respectively.

Previously, tuition fees ranged from N64,050 for freshers, N52,050 for final-year students, and N49,500 for returning students, depending on the department.

The management justified the increase by citing current economic challenges and the imperative to uphold the academic reputation and standards of the university.