Students of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) are groaning under the weight of soaring transport fares and skyrocketing food prices, with many now struggling to attend lectures or afford basic meals.
Findings by our correspondent revealed that transport fares on routes serving off-campus students have increased significantly, while the price of pepper — a dietary staple — has risen from as low as ₦500 to ₦1,000, with smaller quantities than before.
Zainab Lawal, a 100-level Microbiology student, said the fare hikes are directly disrupting academic attendance.
"They were collecting ₦250 before; now they add another ₦50 or more. It might not seem much, but for a student going to school every day, it really affects us," she said. "Sometimes classes are cancelled after spending money to come to school, and it affects us."
On the food crisis, Favour Oladimeji, a 200-level English Language student, said pepper prices have become unaffordable for the average undergraduate.
"Before, at ₦200 or ₦400, we could still buy pepper. Now it is sold at ₦1,000 and the quantity is very small. We just have to manage what we have because things are hard," she said.
A pepper trader at the campus market attributed the surge to rising fuel costs and adverse weather conditions disrupting supply.
"The cost of fuel is added to the price of pepper. What ₦1,000 can buy now looks like what ₦200 used to buy before," the trader said.
Students have continued to call on authorities to implement measures that would reduce the financial burden on undergraduates