The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to suspend recent increases in school fees by public tertiary institutions, warning that the hikes could undermine the objectives of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
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The House also directed its committees on University Education, Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, and Federal Colleges of Education to investigate the scale and justification for the increases.
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The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Hon. Ifeoluwa Ehindero, who raised concerns that some public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education had increased tuition fees and other compulsory charges by more than 100 per cent.
Ehindero said the increases were introduced without adequate consultation or sufficient consideration of the economic difficulties facing Nigerian families.
The lawmaker noted that education remained essential to national development and a fundamental objective of state policy under Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. The provision requires the government to work towards ensuring equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.
The House observed that NELFUND was established by the Federal Government to provide interest-free loans to eligible students, allowing them to pursue tertiary education without being prevented by financial constraints.
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However, lawmakers expressed concern that sudden or unjustified increases in school fees could weaken the sustainability and effectiveness of the loan scheme, which was designed around existing tuition benchmarks and institutional cost structures.
They warned that unchecked fee increases could create disparities in the distribution of education loans and place students from low-income households at a greater disadvantage.
The House also cautioned that rising charges could lead to increased student dropouts, unrest on campuses and declining public confidence in the government’s commitment to making education affordable.
To address the situation, the lawmakers urged the Federal Government to increase financial support to public tertiary institutions to reduce their reliance on internally generated revenue from student fees and other charges.
They also called on the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to engage the managements of public tertiary institutions on suspending the increases and conducting a comprehensive review of their tuition structures in line with prevailing economic conditions.
The relevant House committees were further directed to examine the circumstances surrounding the fee adjustments and determine whether the increases were justified.
The proposed intervention is intended to protect access to higher education and ensure that rising institutional charges do not defeat NELFUND’s objectives, particularly for students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
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