Nigerians react to murmurs of university tuition hike
Malam Sani Misau, 43, Lecturer, Dutse, Jigawa State Tuition fee for indigenous Nigerians is actually free. It is the school fees that have been increased. It is only if you are not a Nigerian that you pay tuition. When you look at receipt of payment you see school fees and not tuition fees. There are […]
Malam Sani Misau, 43, Lecturer, Dutse, Jigawa State
Tuition fee for indigenous Nigerians is actually free. It is the school fees that have been increased. It is only if you are not a Nigerian that you pay tuition. When you look at receipt of payment you see school fees and not tuition fees. There are other things that involve payments, like hostel bills, laboratory, medical, union bills and so on. So, perhaps the addition is to those bills.
Matthew John, 30, Civil Servant, Gwagwalada, FCT
Considering the situation of the country right now, I am not okay with the increment. Things are hard. This may discourage those that are even struggling to go to school. If they increase tuition, the poor would suffer. The government needs to wade in and consider this category of people.
Aliyu Suleman, 36, Public Relations Practitioner
What is the rationale behind the increase in the first place? If it is to harness resources in order to improve infrastructure and other needed support it can be justified. If you look at it, the increase in some universities is a hundred percent or more. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has always been complaining of lack of funds to meet the university’s needs, so it is a good move instead of waiting for monies from the government, which is not forthcoming. But what about the monies being generated by the universities from sub-degrees and other programmes they are running that are not being remitted to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) which ASUU has been resisting?
Chizoba Ogbeche, 41, Journalist, Abuja
It’s really unfortunate, especially given the prevailing economic situation in the country.
It gives the impression that government at both the state and federal level are not committed to meeting their responsibility of providing accessible and affordable education to the people.
For a developing country that has the youth as its greatest asset, it’s surprising that the government is making it difficult for this section of the population to be empowered.
It simply means the country is not ready to join the league of developed nations.
Victor Yakubu, 46, Civil Servant, Kuje, FCT
Minimum wage is only N18, 000, an amount many states cannot afford to pay. Yet we are talking about increased tuition fees. How many people have dropped out of universities because of financial constraint? I don’t know why Nigerians lack foresight. Those responsible for the increment, how much did they pay during their time in school? I believe it was free back then. Imagine a father of five having two children in the tertiary institution and his take home pay is N80, 000. How can he cope? Inj fact, they should just reverse the increment. I am begging the government to please do something.
Kabiru Garba, 53, NUJ, Bauchi
Increase in tuition fees by some Nigerian universities has placed many parents and guardians in jeopardy. The income of an average Nigerian has drastically reduced due to recession and inflation. People are now struggling to survive, so any increase in tuition fees by any institution is unfair. This increase is affecting me personally because I have two children in the university, one in 300 level and the other in 100 level. I was paying N40, 000 for the one in 300 level but now it is N60, 000, while paying between N50, 000 to N55, 000 for the other child which is too much for a civil servant like me.
Ibrahim Malam Goje, 62, Bauchi State NUJ Chairman
For me as a father, I know this increase will further destabilise the income of many families. This increase will discourage many people to send or continue to pay exorbitant fees in public universities despite the falling standard of education in most of the universities. Although I have only one child in Bauchi State University, Gadau and their increase in fees is not much, I still do not subscribe to this increase, especially at this time. The timing is bad. I was paying N15, 000 for my child but it is now N25, 000. Public institutions increasing their fees at this time is inappropriate and cannot be justified.
Hassan Rabiu, 38, Secondary School Teacher, Bauchi
I don’t see any cogent reason for this increase. Why should parents be made to pay more for something which should ideally be reduced? People are now withdrawing their wards from private schools back to public ones because of the bad economic situation. So it is not advisable for the universities to hike their tuition fees at this time.