President Bola Tinubu Finally Speaks on Universities School Fee Increment
President Bola Tinubu has refuted claims that his administration has raised tuition fees in federal universities across the country, reaffirming that these universities remain tuition-free. The statement was made by his spokesperson, Dele Alake, who clarified that federal institutions have only introduced “discretionary charges” for specific services like registration, laboratory usage, and hostel accommodation, among others. Alake emphasized that these charges are not tuition fees.
Despite this clarification, some federal and state universities have independently decided to increase the fees paid by students significantly. For instance, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and others have recently announced fee hikes, citing prevailing economic realities as the reason behind these decisions.
These fee increments have come into the spotlight after President Tinubu signed the Student Loan Bill into law during his first week as Nigerian President. While the bill aims to provide financial support to students, it appears to have inadvertently triggered the universities to raise their fees.
It’s important to note that such fee increases are causing financial difficulties for both parents and self-sponsored students, particularly in the context of removing fuel subsidies and discontinuing multiple exchange rates, further exacerbating the situation. However, President Tinubu maintains that federal universities in Nigeria will continue to remain tuition-free despite the recent fee hikes initiated by some institutions.
FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES REMAIN TUITION-FREE
It was widely reported earlier this week across some news media outlets that the Federal Government had increased tuition fees in federal universities in the country.
These reports are inaccurate and not correct.
We are aware that some… pic.twitter.com/WEMcgcMGfl
— Bayo Onanuga (@aonanuga1956) July 26, 2023
