The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to intervene in rising fees at public tertiary institutions, calling for proposed increases to be suspended and existing charges reviewed.
The lawmakers also asked the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to work with institution managers to make fee structures more affordable amid Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Ifeoluwa Ehindero, who represents Akoko-South West/Akoko-South East Federal Constituency of Ondo State, during Tuesday’s plenary.
The motion, titled “Need to Halt the Recent Increase in School Fees by Public Tertiary Institutions and Its Impact on Nigerian Education Loan Fund,” raised concerns about the effect of rising education costs on students and the sustainability of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Ehindero, who chairs the House Committee on NELFUND, said sudden tuition increases could undermine the loan scheme, which was designed around existing fee levels and institutional cost structures.
“Arbitrary or sudden hikes in fees by institutions will undermine the sustainability, equity and effectiveness of the loan programme,” he said.
He said universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country had increased tuition and other compulsory charges, with some institutions reportedly raising fees by more than 100 per cent.
Ehindero expressed concern that some increases had been introduced without adequate consultation or sufficient consideration of the financial difficulties facing Nigerian households.
He warned that unchecked increases could make higher education less accessible to students from low-income families, despite the availability of government-backed student loans. They could also contribute to student dropouts and campus unrest, he said.
The lawmaker said the trend “may lead to increased student dropouts, campus unrest and overall loss of public confidence in Government’s commitment to affordable education.”
The House urged the Federal Government to increase financial support for public tertiary institutions to reduce their reliance on revenue generated through student fees.
It also asked the Ministry of Education and the NUC to work with institution managers to suspend fee increases and conduct a comprehensive review of tuition structures.
The House mandated its Committees on University Education, Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, and Federal Colleges of Education to investigate the scale of the increases and determine whether they were justified.
