Selma Yoda, a student leader and activist, says the rising cost of hostel accommodation is pushing some students into unsafe living conditions and emotional distress.
Speaking on Good Afternoon Ghana on Metro TV on Thursday, May 7, 2026, Selma Yoda shared personal experiences from her time at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and concerns she has heard from students across campuses.
According to her, hostel fees continue to increase every academic year even though conditions in many facilities remain unchanged.
“They just bring a notice that the following year you’re supposed to pay this amount, and to me it’s not right,” she said.
Selma questioned the reasons often given by hostel managers for the increases, insisting students rarely see any real improvements in the facilities.
“They will tell you renovation and all that. You go and come back and the rooms are still the same,” she said.
She recalled that while staying at Brunei Complex during her time at KNUST, students sometimes had to paint their own rooms despite paying high fees.
“We were painting the rooms ourselves,” she said. “Water issues still stand. We don’t even have elevator. We move all the way to the sixth floor.”
According to her, a two-in-a-room arrangement at the hostel rose from around GH¢4,000 in 2023 to GH¢8,470 in the 2024/2025 academic year.
Selma said the pressure of accommodation costs is affecting students emotionally and financially, especially those from struggling homes.
“I remember there was a particular lady who approached me. She had been able to pay her school fees by God’s grace, but now accommodation is a problem,” she recounted.
“She was sleeping in a church which was even far from campus.”
She added that some students are forced to stay on campus until late at night because they cannot afford accommodation close to school and fear for their safety while travelling.
“Security is another issue,” she said, citing reports of robberies around student hostel areas near the University of Professional Studies, Accra.
Selma warned that if authorities fail to address the growing accommodation problem, access to education could become limited to only students who can afford it.
“Education is a right, not a privilege,” she said.
“If we don’t do anything about these issues, education will become a privilege, not a right anymore.”
