EKO HOT BLOG reports that in the midst of escalating economic challenges, a groundswell of dissent has swept across the nation, uniting parents, lecturers, and students in protest against the soaring tuition fees adopted by a majority of universities in the country.
This unsettling development has raised concerns about a potential wave of student dropouts in the wake of these fee hikes.
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Over the past few days, students from various universities have organized protests to voice their vehement opposition to the surging fees and additional levies.
On Tuesday, disgruntled students at the University of Jos in Plateau State barricaded the roads leading to their campus, demanding an immediate reversal of the fee increases and other imposed levies. Similarly, on Wednesday, students at the University of Lagos staged a protest against the fee hikes, marking their second demonstration against this unwelcome financial burden.
The genesis of this fee hike can be traced back to the suspension of an eight-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in October 2022. Federal universities, including the Federal University of Health Sciences in Azare, University of Maiduguri, Federal University in Dutse, Federal University in Lafia, University of Uyo, and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Umudike, among others, initiated fee hikes.
As 2023 unfolded, Bayero University in Kano, University of Lagos in Akoka, University of Jos, and the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, and University of Nigeria in Nsukka also followed suit, announcing fee increments.
University administrations have cited the escalating costs of educational materials and the imperative to secure adequate funding for their institutions as the driving forces behind these decisions.
In response, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the National President of ASUU, vehemently opposed these fee increases, asserting that universities should not operate as profit-driven enterprises. He highlighted the contradiction between the Nigerian Constitution’s provision for free education and the financial strain placed on parents.
Osodeke underscored the critical need for increased government investment in education, emphasizing that Nigeria’s education sector is underfunded. He called on the federal government to prioritize education at all levels and enhance budgetary allocations to ensure the country’s educational system remains robust.
Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed, the National President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), echoed these sentiments, attributing the fee hikes to inadequate government funding. He implored the government to either provide substantial funding to universities or reconsider its stance on tuition fees.
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Additionally, the National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria expressed apprehension over the fee hikes, warning that failure to reverse these increases could lead to a surge in student dropouts and an upswing in crime rates. They called on President Bola Tinubu to allocate the savings from the removal of the petrol subsidy to finance the education sector.
In the face of mounting public pressure, the future of higher education in Nigeria remains uncertain, contingent on government actions and the willingness of universities to reconsider their financial policies.
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