By Babs Oyetoro, Cajetan Mmuta, Deborah Onyofufeke, and David Lawani
The recent increase in tuition fees in Nigerian universities across the nation has sparked spontaneous reactions from stakeholders in the educational sector as some Nigerians are calling on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency to redress the downward trend in the sector.
It would be recalled that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on eight months strike that paralysed the education sector.
However, while Nigerians heaped a sigh of relief with the advent of a new regime led by President Bola Tinubu eliciting hope that it would be a new dawn for the sector, the optimism seems to be dashed with the recent development.
Miffed by the development, a lecturer at the University of Jos, Mr Emmanuel Musa, confessed that the timing was all wrong saying millions of Nigerians are wallowing in poverty now; occasioned by the recent increase in the cost of living following fuel subsidy removal.
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He said “At this point, my opinion is that Nigeria is a poor country that has nothing on the ground for the poor masses to enjoy and if the school fees continue to increase almost 80 to 90% of the students will not be able to cope.
“There are some students who are sponsoring themselves and there are some students whose parents are very poor and only managing to survive on campus.
“Take the University of Jos for example, the school fee was formerly N45, 000 and a lot of the students were unable to pay, and now you move the fees to N170, 000. You can see that a lot of students may eventually drop out because they are unable to pay the increased fees,” he disclosed.
Just last Wednesday, the management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, announced a new school fee regime on Wednesday.
The decision, according to a communiqué released by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, was taken by the school’s Senate at its emergency meeting held on Tuesday.
The statement disclosed that fresh students in the Faculties of Arts, Law, and Humanities would pay N151,200 while returning students of the same faculties would pay N89,200.
Before the increment, science students who used to pay N73, 000, are now required to pay N190, 000. Non-science students who used to pay N69, 000, are now mandated to part with N170, 000.
Several federal universities began the implementation of increments in fees following the suspension of the industrial action by the ASUU in October 2022.
The public universities which hiked their fees included the University of Benin, Benin City; Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare; University of Maiduguri; Federal University, Dutse; Federal University, Lafia; University of Uyo; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Bayero University, Kano; University of Lagos, Akoka, among others.
The universities in separate memos attributed the development to the rising cost of learning materials and the need to adequately fund activities in their respective institutions.
*Want FG to declare a state of emergency on education
A parent and businessman, Mr Jude Obi, expressed utter disgust at the state of the country’s varsities and called for a declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector even as other stakeholders frown at the timing saying it is unrealistic, particularly at this time of serious economic crunch.
Obi observed with dismay that successive governments have treated the education sector with gross neglect and absolute insensitivity due to their clear preference for overseas institutions where they ferry their wards.
Obi said, “Until Nigeria and its leaders sincerely set aside foreign consciousness and honestly put their eyes on the ground to make education a priority, our development will continue to be a mirage.”
Also, the Chairman of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (InterSociety), Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, said there was a need for the Federal Government to ensure a holistic approach to tackle the challenges facing the country’s educational sector.
He said, “From the look of things it’s not only about what is happening in the federal institutions but importantly about what is happening in the educational system in Nigeria as a whole. I see no reason why parents should be struggling to train their children in the nursery, primary and secondary schools. It’s on the premise of service that we elect President and Governors and on that basis of morality the government ought to have taken up that responsibility of making things work for the good of all.”
*Mass withdrawal looms as proposed students’ loans not accessible
Also reacting to discussion on the ongoing fee hike by public universities, a 47-year man who identified himself as Emmanuel Ani, appealed to the Federal Government to prevail on university authorities to rescind their decisions on fee increment, saying most of them who survive only on menial jobs and monthly take-home salaries are already overburdened by the cost of feeding families, transportation, energy, among others.
Prof Enaruna Edosa of the Institute of Public Administration and Extension Services, University of Benin, has explained that the student loan is unrealistic noting that even the student body, NANS, now knows that it’s deceptive and has asked for a review of the Act backing it.
He said, “The scheme is a guise to justify the increment in school fees that was coming. ASUU had alerted on this severally long ago. But it appears many students and parents didn’t see it that way until now when it seems almost late”.
Also, an Associate Professor (Agric-Economics) and Consultant to the United Nations (UN) and UNESCO, Agharese Osifo said “As a stakeholder in the Nigerian university system, I am befuddled about the brewing crisis over the sudden increase in fees payable in the Nigerian university system.”
He noted that “The cases of the University of Jos and the University of Lagos are rather incendiary. This is particularly so because we are all feeling the effects of the subsidy removal on the PMS.”
The university did not express worry that the state government universities are worse off in the whole of the unfortunate development.
Joining the raging issue is one Thelma Ugheoke, a student in of the State Universities, who bemoaned the increment in school fees and noted that this is not the right time to do such a thing.
“My case is peculiar because I have just one parent catering for my needs and that of other four siblings of which three of them are in a tertiary institution now.
“I am so scared for my mum because I don’t want to lose the only parent I have left due to stress or maybe thinking or whatever. That woman works so hard but things are still difficult.
“My dad died over 10 years ago and it has just been my mom alone with five children. My brother and I try to help her but it’s still not enough”, she lamented.
Despite the uncertainty beclouding the proposed students’ loans, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman has reiterated the commitment of the Bola Tinubu-led government to give loans to indigent students.
Also, the Minister of Education hinted that the federal government will improve the budget meant for education by 25 per cent with the right policies in place.
The minister further pledged his commitment to bridge the gaps between education policy statements and their actualisation outcomes.
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