Nasarawa University Students Decry High Rent on Residential Accommodation

-Urge Govt Build More Hostels

Some students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, have appealed to the State Government to build more hostels on the institution’s campus to alleviate their accommodation problems.

The students made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Keffi on Friday.

They said provision of more hostels in the university would reduce the hardships they were facing due to high cost of accommodation facilities largely owned by individuals outside the campus.

They also complained that the situation was impacting their education negatively.

One of them, Mr Solomon Audu, a 300 level student of the university, said:” The cost of bed space in the school is N10,000 plus N3,000 maintenance fee; but our problem is not even the cost of hotels in the school but inadequate bed space in school’s hostels.

” That was why many students rented accommodation outside the school.  For example, a self contained apartment that I have rented outside the school is N120, 000 which is too high but I have no option since there are no inadequate bed spaces in students hotels on the campus.

” There are also self-contained apartments being rented out at between N150, 000 and N200,000, based on the available facilities.

“So, if the state government builds more hostels in the school, it will reduce our hardships, improve our standard of living and standard of education,” Audu said.

Miss Hauwa Sani, a 200 level student of the institution, also urged the government to build more hostels considering their importance to students’ education.

” To be sincere, the cost of renting accommodation outside the school varies, we have the one of N50,000, N80,000, N100, 000, N150,000 and even N200,000, depending on their locations and available facilities.

” So, I want to appeal to the state government to build more hostels on our campus in order to accommodate more students so as to change their lives positively,” Sani said.

Similarly, Ibrahim Ahmed, another student of the school, appealed to the government to construct more hostels in the school to alleviate their sufferings.

” In Keffi, the cost of accommodation is high depending on where you want to stay as it varies between N50,000 and N250,000,” Ahmed said.

Two other students, Miss veronica Joseph and Habiba Audu, who are staying in the hostel of the university, said that a bed space cost N13,000, including maintenance fee.

They also urged the state government to build more hostels in the school to accommodate more students.

The Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Abraham Ekpo, said the institution would continue to give priority to students’ welfare by creating an enabling environment conducive for learning. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)