Tinubu’s 100 Days: Nigerian families squeezed by surging school fees

As President Bola Tinubu’s 100 days in office beckons, realities on the ground contradict his election promise to revive the education sector at all levels to meet the emerging global best practices and socio-economic realities.

Many Nigerians who had expected the new government would usher in the needed transformation in the education sector; are now worried as they groan over the harmful effects the hike in school fees has subjected them in the face of the prevailing high cost of living amidst crippled economic activities in the country.

Yemisi Ogunsola, a parent with a 200-level child at the University of Lagos, said the recent fee hike by tertiary institutions has thrown her off balance, and the high cost of living eroding the family’s daily living standard.

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“The situation is precarious and excruciating; we do not know what to do. We are paying a surging electricity tariff; transport fare is rising, coupled with the high cost of food items.

The situation is traumatising; I don’t know how to go about it because we cannot ask the poor boy to withdraw, and the engineering course takes longer.

I’m disappointed with how the new government is taking off; if President Tinubu continues this way, then, I will say, there is no hope for education in Nigeria,” she said.

Consequent to the President Tinubu-led administration’s consent to the Student Loan Act on Monday, June 12, 2023, many public universities in Nigeria have begun to increase fees for the 2023/2024 academic year, citing prevailing economic realities and the need to be able to meet obligations to students and stakeholders in the face of the high cost of living.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) increased its fees, and the new payment structure demands that students in non-laboratory courses total N100,750  and students offering laboratory courses pay a total of N140,250. In contrast, medical students will pay N190,250.

Before the increase, returning undergraduate students on the campus were paying between N26,000 and about N76,000, depending on the courses of study and the level of the students.

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Similarly, the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) increased its fees; students studying medicine have their fees hiked to a whopping sum of N252,500 for new students and N233,000 for returning students.

The university’s fees skyrocketed from N29,830 to about N74, 000 while the registration fee at the university was N58,000.

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has also announced a 100 per cent hike in fees; fresh students across the faculties in the university are to pay a consolidated price of between N114,650 and N120,650, while older students are expected to pay between N85, 000 to N95, 000.

Before the new development, old students in the institution paid a fee of N40,000 and new students N83,000.

The University of Benin (UNIBEN) hiked its fee to N190,000 for science students, as against N73,000, while non-science students are to pay N170,000 against the usual N69,000.

Besides, secondary schools have joined in the fee hike ‘madness’ as even federal government-owned schools have started increasing their fees.

Joseph Nwankwo, a businessman with children in both secondary school and university, said the high cost of living is hitting hard on many homes as prices of everything, including school fees, books, uniforms, boarding fees, food, and other items, have gone up.

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“I have a child in one of the top-notch secondary schools in Lagos; the school has increased the fee to N1.2 million as against N500,000 we were paying before.

This is just ridiculous; where do I start from? The elder brother is in the university, and we are yet to know their new fee,” he said.

Blessing Nwachukwu, a mother of two, described the situation as an ill wind that blows crises to students and parents.

“The increment is happening at a hypercritical time in Nigeria when the masses face multitudinous challenges, including removal of petrol subsidies and inflation.

An increment in fees amounts to moving many students, especially those from poor homes, from frying pan to a burning fire,” she said.

Ifeanyi Eke, an educationist, describes the 100 days of President Tinubu in office as horrible days for education; according to him, the new government has shown it does not have adequate plans to streamline the accompanying challenges in the education sector.

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“The government is saying that education is not for the children of the poor. Most public university students are from poor homes; how will they cope with this?” he asked.

Charles Onwunali, senior lecturer at UNILAG, maintained that the subsidy removal and Student Loan Act endorsed by the government are pointers to the fact that the new government wants to commercialise education in Nigeria, especially at the tertiary level.

Achike Chude, deputy chairman of Joint Action Front (JAF), called for the government to fund public education adequately and ensure democratic management of allocation and finance of all institutions as a panacea.