ABUJA, Nigeria – The House of Representatives has asked Nigerian universities to halt the recent surge in fees, warning that the hikes risk causing students to abandon their studies.
The House also requested that the Federal Ministry of Education review the new fee structure in Federal Government Colleges and return to the previous regime.
During a session on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, the House expressed its concern that the Federal Government should urgently bolster the education sector’s funding.
It called for increased budgetary provisions to ensure Nigerian students’ access to quality, affordable basic, and senior secondary education.
The House also resolved to investigate the fee increases in all federal universities and the spike in school fees for students of Federal Government Colleges nationwide.
This step aims to find lasting solutions to the challenges plaguing the education sector.
These resolutions came on the back of two separate motions put forward by Hon. Aliyu Sani Madaki, Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi, and Hon. Kama Nkemkanma.
They revolved around the necessity to suspend the implementation of increased tuition fees by federal universities and to reverse the recent hike of school fees in Unity Secondary Schools in Nigeria.
Hon. Madaki detailed the distressing scenario where, due to poor funding of tertiary education and rising inflation, federal universities have raised tuition fees by 100% to 200%, while hostel fees have surged by 50% to 100%.
Several institutions have implemented fee increases, including Bayero University, Kano; the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; the University of Uyo; University of Maiduguri; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; and Federal University, Dutse, among others.
Hon. Kama Nkemkanma, presenting the motion concerning increased fees for unity schools, emphasized that these schools were established to promote national unity.
They were intended to offer quality and affordable education to students from diverse regions, regardless of their socioeconomic background.
The fee hikes, he warned, undermine these crucial goals.
