Reps move to halt school fee hikes, probe 100% increases in public institutions

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to suspend recent increases in school fees by public tertiary institutions across the country, warning that the hikes could undermine the objectives of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

The House also mandated its committees on University Education, Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, and Federal Colleges of Education to investigate the extent and justification for the fee increases.

The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Hon. Ifeoluwa Ehindero, who expressed concern that some public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education had increased their fees and other mandatory charges by more than 100 per cent.
The lawmaker noted that the increases were implemented without broad consultation or adequate consideration of the prevailing economic realities facing Nigerian families.

According to the motion, education remains a cornerstone of national development and a fundamental objective of state policy under Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires government to ensure equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.

The House observed that NELFUND was established by the Federal Government to provide interest-free loans to students in need, enabling them to pursue tertiary education without financial barriers.

However, it expressed concern that arbitrary or sudden increases in school fees could undermine the sustainability and effectiveness of the loan scheme, which was designed around existing tuition benchmarks and institutional cost structures.

The lawmakers warned that unchecked increases could create disparities in the allocation of education loans and further disadvantage students from low-income households.
They also cautioned that the development could lead to increased student dropouts, unrest on campuses and a loss of public confidence in the government’s commitment to affordable education.

To address the situation, the House urged the Federal Government to increase financial subventions to public tertiary institutions to reduce their dependence on internally generated revenue through student charges.

It also called on the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to engage the managements of public tertiary institutions on suspending the fee increases and conducting a comprehensive review of tuition structures in line with current economic realities.

The House further directed the relevant committees to investigate the circumstances surrounding the increases and establish whether the adjustments were justified.

The proposed intervention is aimed at protecting access to higher education and ensuring that rising institutional charges do not defeat the objectives of NELFUND, particularly for students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.