No federal university is permitted to charge tuition fees — FG

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The federal government has stated that no federal university in the country may levy tuition fees.

Mr David Adejo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, stated this on Tuesday at a public hearing by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on student loans in Abuja.

Adejo lamented the recent hike in fees levied by the country’s government colleges.

“What they collect are fees to cover the costs of housing, ICT, and power, among other things.” The Universities’ Governing Councils have the authority to authorise such charges for them.

“The University of Lagos is the only university that raised fees following the passage of the Student Loans Act.”

“They came to the Ministry with a proposal to increase their rates due to the dissolution of all Governing Councils, and we approved it.”

“Immediately after that, there was a resolution from the House stopping the fee rise, and the President also delivered a directive stopping any charge increase, and that is where it remains, even though several others have brought their idea,” he explained.

According to Adejo, the fees collected by the institutions were used to pay for some of their services, such as electricity costs.

He disputed accusations that the passage of the Students’ Loan Act was to blame for some of the increase in university fees.

Adejo stated that, despite the fees, the colleges were unable to cover part of their expenses.
He stated that plans were in place for the student loan scheme to begin in the 2023/2024 school year.

Adejo stated that President Bola Tinubu has issued a directive requiring the essential work on the procedures for the scheme’s launch in September.

Teseer Ugbor, the committee’s chairman, stated that the student loan was one of the federal government’s palliatives for alleviating Nigerians’ suffering and ensuring interested Nigerians’ access to higher education.

He was concerned, however, about the disbursement process, the recovery of cash from beneficiaries, and the prospect that some students might be unable to obtain the loan.

He called for dialogue as part of the process of trying to change the law so that all Nigerian students interested in the loan might benefit from it.