The Vice Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo Town, Ondo State, Prof. Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, has dismissed claims circulating on social media alleging that the university had increased its tuition fees.
Prof. Adejuyigbe, in an interview with journalists on Monday in Akure, described the reports as “mischievous, false, and a deliberate attempt to discredit the institution.”
According to her, contrary to the narratives being spread online, the university has not implemented any general tuition increment.
“There are a lot of incorrect narratives in some sections of the media on tuition at UNIMED,” she said. “The incorrect depiction of our fees by some fifth columnists hiding under the media is an attempt to tarnish the image of a rapidly growing institution.”
The Vice Chancellor clarified that only minor adjustments were made to the fees of newly admitted students to ensure quality service delivery amid the current economic challenges.
“The university did not increase fees across the board as being peddled. We only adjusted the fees of fresh students to enable us to provide the best possible learning experience,” she explained.
Prof. Adejuyigbe emphasised that UNIMED operates transparently, with all fees publicly available on the university’s official website, adding that the institution’s charges remain competitive and highly subsidised by the Ondo State government.
She also addressed issues surrounding the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), noting that the university had verified 87 students last year whose names were submitted for inclusion in the loan scheme.
“I have personally reached out to the head of NELFUND to resolve issues delaying our students’ inclusion. The perception that our fees were recently increased is erroneous; any adjustments were made earlier and not recently,” she said.
On the reported transfer of the UNIMED Teaching Hospital complex in Akure to the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital (FUTATH), Prof. Adejuyigbe clarified that the move was a collaborative arrangement, not a takeover.
“We still have our teaching hospital in Ondo. One of our branches was given over to assist them, and that does not mean we have lost ownership or access,” she explained.
She added that under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both institutions, UNIMED students retain unrestricted access to the facilities, laboratories, and lecturers at the Akure complex.
Prof. Adejuyigbe reaffirmed the university’s dedication to maintaining affordable, high-quality education while fostering collaboration that enhances medical training and research in Nigeria.
