KNUST students protest soaring private hostel fees at National Youth Conference

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) students have staged a protest against a significant increase in private hostel fees, which are causing financial strain on students and their families. During the National Youth Conference at KNUST, members of University Hall, or Katanga, demonstrated with placards displaying messages such as "Reduce hostel fees now!", "We came to learn, not to sleep" and "Hostel fees are now more expensive than our school fees."

The protest aimed to bring attention to the challenges faced by students on campus. Obrane, a final-year Agricultural Engineering student and leader of the Katanga morale group, highlighted how the high cost of accommodation is threatening access to university education, as it is now more expensive than university school fees. The students accused some private hostel owners of ignoring guidelines from the Rent Control Department, which has allowed them to charge arbitrary fees.

Obrane appealed to the media to highlight the students' concerns. The Youth Development and Empowerment Minister, George Opare Addo, assured the students that the government would engage relevant authorities to address the issue. He emphasized that Ghana is a country governed by laws and that no individual or business should operate outside them.

The Education Ministry is also engaging private developers to construct affordable accommodation on university campuses, as part of the "Bed for All" policy to expand accommodation for students in tertiary institutions.