Bemoaning the recent hike in tuition fees across tertiary institutions, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has asked the management of these institutions to source their revenue from other sources apart from focusing on raising tuition fees.
The NANS warned that any institution planning to increase tuition fees should desist or face mass action from the student body. Mr Akinteye Babatunde, the NANS Vice President for External Affairs, made this call in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune.
He called on institutions that had already increased their tuition fees to revert or face the wrath of the student body.
Akinteye argued that with the high cost of living and hardship resulting from subsidy removal, increasing tuition fees at this time would compound the woes of Nigerians.
He emphasized that education is a right and urged the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to provide palliatives and declare a state of emergency in the education sector.
The statement read: “Amidst the escalating cost of living in the country due to the hike in fuel prices and subsequent increases in the prices of goods and services, some educational institutions have announced significant increases in tuition and other fees, while others are planning to do so in order to cope with the effects of the removal of subsidy on petrol.
Most recently, the management of the University of Lagos, Akoka, reportedly increased the fees for undergraduates in the institution.
This was contained in a statement dated July 20, 2023, by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, UNILAG branch, following a meeting with the top management of the institution. This is highly ridiculous and completely unacceptable.”
“We are Nigerian students, and our leaders in all cadres owe us some sort of responsibility to keep us sane and safe by doing everything possible within the armpits of the law to allow us access to education.
Education is our right, and we must get it at all costs, regardless of how selfish and self-centred our leaders are.
This is also a note of warning to other tertiary institutions, who are already planning to increase their fees to further crush education in Nigeria, to think twice and source for funds elsewhere to meet their needs.
Otherwise, they should be ready to receive us as unusual guests who will come and reside in their abode and offices until they yield to our demands.”
“If any sector of the government would need palliatives as it stands, it has to be the education sector and most especially the tertiary education.
The actions and inactions of our government and management of these institutions put our parents under severe burden and a state of helplessness whenever they come up with these unthoughtful policies.
It is highly insensitive and demeaning for a higher institution to wake up one morning and increase her fees from #19,000 to #190,000. This is totally careless and inconsiderate on the part of this management.”
“Majority of these parents are of average and low classes in society who are already battling with subsidy removal that did not come with any form of palliatives or salary increase for the civil servants and employees amongst them.
The businessmen and women are also battling with the prices of goods and the decrease in patronage they experience on a daily basis.
The cost of living on the other hand is biting hard with prices of foodstuff and rent going up by over a hundred percent. The situation is alarming.”
“This is why we are appealing to the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the Nigerian Educational System and call the stakeholders to look for a lasting solution that will help the common man afford these prestigious government-established institutions when their children are qualified.
If they refuse to declare it, we may do so for them. It is a very easy task for us to accomplish. We have done so in the past, and we can do it again.”
“Also, the management of the University of Lagos must, as a matter of urgency, revert its tuition fees to its usual amount. Failure to do this, UNILAG shall incur the wrath of the Nigerian Students, and the school shall be shut down indefinitely until our demands are met.
We hereby call on the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, to do the needful by ensuring that the increment vanishes by issuing a statement to that effect within the next 48 hours.
The majority of these parents are of average and low classes in society and are already battling with subsidy removal that did not come with any form of palliatives or salary increase for the civil servants and employees amongst them.
The businessmen and women are also battling with the prices of goods and the decrease in patronage they experience on a daily basis. The cost of living, on the other hand, is biting hard with prices of foodstuff and rent going up by over a hundred per cent. The situation is alarming.”
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