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The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to intervene in rising tuition costs at public tertiary institutions, urging authorities to suspend proposed school fee increases and review existing charges.
The lawmakers also asked the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to engage institutional managers on the need to make tuition 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 consequences of rising education costs for students and the sustainability of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).appqppp
Ehindero, who chairs the House Committee on NELFUND, argued that sudden increases in tuition 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.
The lawmaker noted that 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.
He expressed concern that some of the increases were introduced without adequate consultation or sufficient consideration of the financial difficulties facing Nigerian households.
According to Ehindero, unchecked increases could make it more difficult for students from low-income families to access higher education, despite the availability of government-backed student loans.
He warned that rising charges could also increase the number of students abandoning their studies and create tension on campuses.
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.”
Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to increase financial support to 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 undertake a comprehensive review of tuition structures.
The House further 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.
