Reps move to halt public tertiary institutions’ fee hikes
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Reps move to halt public tertiary institutions’ fee hikes
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to increase funding for public tertiary institutions and called for a review of recent increases in tuition and other charges across the country.
The resolution followed a motion moved by the member representing Akoko North-East/Akoko North-West Federal Constituency, Ifeoluwa Babajide Ehindero, during plenary on Tuesday.
Ehindero expressed concern over reported fee increases exceeding 100 per cent in some public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, warning that the development could make higher education increasingly unaffordable for students from low-income families.
He said the increases could also undermine the effectiveness of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, which was established to provide interest-free loans to eligible students and reduce financial barriers to tertiary education.
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The lawmaker cited Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which directs government policy towards providing equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.
He argued that sudden and substantial increases in institutional charges could weaken efforts to expand access to higher education, particularly where existing student financing arrangements did not adequately reflect the new costs.
“Access to higher education should not become increasingly difficult for Nigerian students because of sudden and substantial increases in institutional charges,” Ehindero said.
While acknowledging the financial pressures facing tertiary institutions, he said there was a need to balance institutional sustainability with the ability of families to afford education.
He added that student financing initiatives such as NELFUND could become less effective if institutions raised their charges without adequate consideration of students’ financial circumstances.
The lawmaker called for consultation, transparency and a comprehensive review of fee structures in line with prevailing economic realities.
Following consideration of the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to increase financial subventions to public tertiary institutions to reduce their dependence on student charges as a source of internally generated revenue.
It also urged the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to engage the managements of public tertiary institutions with a view to suspending fee increases and reviewing tuition structures.
The House further mandated the relevant committees on University Education, Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, and Federal Colleges of Education to investigate the extent and justification for the recent increases.
The motion was referred to the relevant House committees for further legislative action.
Ehindero maintained that the objective was not to disregard the financial needs of tertiary institutions but to ensure that their fee policies remained transparent, justified and sensitive to the economic realities of students and their families.
