FG shoots up varsity, FUC school fees
Sopuruchi Onwuka
Following the fiscal policies of the present administration of the Federal Government and the inflationary trends sparked in the domestic economy, educational institutions supported by the government are raising fees.
Weekend the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, announced some 110 percent increase in the payable fees by new entrants into Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) in the country.
At the same time, the University of Lagos, announced similar hike in the fees payable by different categories of students in the foremost institution with medical students leading with the highest payable fees.
According to Hajia Binta, fresh students of FUCs are to over 100 percent of the prevailing fees, jumping from current N45,000 to N100,000 per student.
In a directive ADF/120/DSSE/I, dated 25th May 2023 to the college principals, Hajia Binta told all principals of FUCs to demand N100,000 instead of the normal N45,000 from new students arriving for the first term.
The fees, she stated, do not include tuition but covers boarding fees, uniforms, textbooks, deposit, exercise books, prospectus, caution fees, ID cards, stationery, clubs and societies, sports, extra lesson and insurance.
At the University of Lagos, Akoka, fees have jumped from about N20,000 to princely N190,250 for medical students, N140,250 for students with laboratory and studio utilities and N100,750, those without such utilities.
The management of the school headed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, declared in a statement that fees would be increased for UNILAG undergraduates.
The VC said the new charges would be implemented across the federal government’s educational institutions in the country, inferring strongly that other universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and sundry tertiary institutions under the federal authorities would be affected.
The directives on new fees came against a directive from the House of Representatives had on the Federal Government to reverse the increment of school fees in all federal government-owned secondary schools
The resolution followed a motion moved by Saidu Abdullahi (APC, Niger) and Kama Nkemkanma (LP, Ebonyi).
Nkemkanma had while moving the motion said the increment was causing untold hardship for students.
