FG Insists Federal Universities Not Allowed To Charge Fees
Federal universities in Nigeria are not allowed to charge tuition fees, according to the Ministry of Education. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr David Adejo, stated this at a public hearing on student loans organized by a House of Representatives committee in Abuja.
He said that the ministry was worried about the increasing fees imposed by some federal universities in the country. He also said that the student loan scheme was part of the government’s efforts to ease the hardship of Nigerians and improve access to higher education.
Also, he explained that the fees collected by the universities were meant to cover various costs, such as accommodation, ICT, and power. He denied that the rise in university fees was linked to the enactment of the student loan act.
He said:
“The universities collect charges for services like accommodation, ICT, and power, among others. These charges are approved by the Governing Councils of the Universities.”
“The only university that increased its charges after the signing of the student loans act is the University of Lagos.”
“They came to us with a proposal to increase their charges because there was no Governing Council at that time and we gave them approval”.
“But after that, there was a resolution from the House and a directive from the President to stop any increase in fees and that is where it stands, even though many others have brought their proposals,” he said.
He added that the universities still faced financial challenges despite the fees. He also revealed that the student loan scheme was expected to start in the 2023/2024 academic session.
Adejo further said that President Bola Tinubu had instructed the ministry to finalize the modalities for the scheme by September. He also expressed concerns about how the funds would be disbursed, recovered, and who would be eligible for the scheme.
He urged for a consultative process during the amendment of the act to ensure that all Nigerian students who need the loan can benefit from it.
