Nigerian students face financial strain as education costs surge amid economic challenges
The Federal Ministry of Education has recently announced a significant increase in school fees for students enrolling in Federal Unity Colleges, raising the amount from N45,000 to N100,000.
A circular outlining the breakdown of the new fee structure was issued to all Principals of Federal Unity Colleges from the Office of the Director of Senior Secondary Education Department of the Federal Ministry of Education.
The circular, reference number ADF/120/DSSE/I, was dated 25th May 2023 and signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir.
The document stated that new students would now be required to pay ₦100,000 instead of the previous N45,000. This fee increase will affect various aspects and activities of the school, including tuition and boarding fees, uniforms, textbooks, deposits, exercise books, prospectus, caution fee, ID card, stationery, clubs and societies, sports, extra lessons, insurance, and more.
The Ministry emphasized that the approved fees and charges for all Unity Colleges are limited to the underlisted items, with the N100,000 covering school fees, identification card, stationery, lessons, insurance, security, ICT, utilities, and other essentials.
In addition to the increase in Unity Colleges’ fees, several federal government-owned universities have also implemented drastic tuition fee hikes, exceeding 100% over the past 12 months, leading to widespread condemnation among Nigerians.
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While President Bola Tinubu has introduced a Student Loan Scheme to aid indigent students in accessing education, public universities have chosen to raise their tuition fees during a time when Nigerians are grappling with fuel subsidy removal and unified exchange rates, significantly impacting the cost of living.
Reports indicate that the University of Maiduguri in Borno State was one of the first schools to raise its tuition, with medical students now paying N238,000, up from less than N100,000, while law students’ fees increased from N26,000 to approximately N104,000.
Similarly, Uthman Danfodiyo University in Sokoto State raised fees for law students from N56,000 to N86,300 (for final year students), and medical students’ fees were hiked from N60,000/N70,000 to N109,000.
Bayero University in Kano State proposed a new undergraduate fee structure for the 2022/2023 academic session, introducing varying tuition rates for students based on their faculties. The new tuition fees for law students rose from N39,000 to N105,000.
In the South-South region, the University of Benin in Edo State increased tuition fees from the range of N69,000-N74,000 to N170,000 to N190,000.
Additionally, the University of Lagos raised tuition fees for medical students from N19,000 to N190,250, while students taking courses that require laboratory and studio access were required to pay N140,250. Academic programs that do not necessitate lab and studio usage are fixed at N100,750.
These fee hikes have caused concern and sparked discussions among students, parents, and university staff. The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) UNILAG branch issued a statement on July 20, 2023, following a meeting with top management staff, expressing their position on the matter.
As the cost of education continues to rise amid economic challenges, parents, students, and stakeholders are closely monitoring the situation, hoping for solutions that will ensure access to quality education without further burdening families.
