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The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is grappling with a severe accommodation crunch, with over 30,000 students competing for roughly 8,000 available hostel bed spaces. In response, the institution is reportedly considering allowing students to share or “squat” in existing rooms temporarily, while also pledging a firm crackdown on hostel racketeering.
Prof. Musa Obalola, Dean of Student Affairs (DSA), expressed concern over the escalating challenge, stressing that the university is committed to enforcing sanctions against students who illegally sell or sublet their bed spaces.
“We are deeply worried, and I can assure you that we’ve been trying our best to curb hostel racketeering,” Obalola told an online platform. “Students caught selling bed or squatting spaces face serious penalties. The minimum sanction is one or two semesters’ suspension.”
The disciplinary process, the DSA clarified, involves investigation, trial, and a verdict by the Student Disciplinary Board before sanctions are applied. “Some students don’t consider the consequences of their actions. Why deny fellow students the chance to secure accommodation, keep your own, and then sell or sublet it?” he added.
Tight Monitoring and New Measures
UNILAG has instituted several measures to curb racketeering. Hostel allocations are accompanied by the issuance of ID cards, while staff conduct random inspections. The university has also threatened to publicly release the names of students found guilty of racketeering.
In addition, the university is planning a public-private partnership to construct new hostels with over 7,000 additional bed spaces, expected to be completed within 24 months pending government approval. Currently, some hostels, including the female Honours Hostel with 511 beds, remain unavailable due to renovation.
The shortage has been worsened by late registration of new students, administrative delays, and the actions of racketeers. In some cases, bed spaces have reportedly been sold for between ₦240,000 and ₦300,000, while squatting spaces fetch up to ₦180,000. Many first-year students, unable to secure accommodation, have been commuting from home daily, sometimes spending over ₦5,000 on transport.
Balloting and Temporary Accommodation
To address the crisis, UNILAG has scheduled a fresh round of hostel balloting for students who missed out in earlier exercises. According to a bulletin released on January 5, 2026, applications for temporary hostel accommodation for the 2025/2026 academic session opened on January 6, 2026, for eligible 200- to 500-level students who have completed course registration.
The bulletin outlined the process: allocations will be random, and the application window closes once spaces are filled. Notifications for successful applicants will be sent on January 7, 2026, with payment due by January 9, and movement into halls starting January 13.
In recognition of the extreme shortage and commuting challenges, the university has introduced a temporary “squatting” arrangement. While illegal under normal circumstances, the measure is aimed at students who face difficulty traveling from home to campus. The Student Affairs Division retains sole responsibility for assigning these temporary spaces, and genuine bed-space holders are prohibited from personally reallocating them.
Applicants must provide a signed and stamped biodata form, proof of full payment of school dues, and a copy of their current course registration. The university emphasized that this temporary accommodation is not a right, but a privilege granted under exceptional circumstances.
As UNILAG continues to balance limited housing capacity with the welfare of its students, the administration faces the dual challenge of enforcing discipline against racketeers while ensuring that more students gain access to safe and affordable on-campus accommodation.