Nigerian university suspends fee hike for wider consultation after backlash

The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has paused the implementation of its recently hiked fees for students, pending consultations with students and other stakeholders.

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The university management made this announcement in a Special Bulletin issued by the Public Affairs Directorate on Thursday.

The suspension came days after the university increased fees for students, which sharply raised what undergraduates pay.

“In the spirit of consultation, mutual respect and responsible governance, the management has therefore decided to suspend the implementation of the revised charges to allow for wider consultations and further inputs from the student body and other relevant stakeholders,” the university said.

The hike

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the revised fee schedule increased from around N62,000 and N84,000 to N143,000 and N298,000, depending on their programme and level.

The president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Akinteye Afeez, called it a “joke taken too far” and said the Vice-Chancellor should step down if he cannot run the school, while students voiced anger on the university’s social media page.

The university said the hike was needed because of a significant gap between the university’s resources and the rising cost of providing essential services to students.

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The university explained that the situation worsened with the loss of nearly N2.5 billion after a court ruling, which it said put considerable additional pressure on the university’s finances.

The Court of Appeal had ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) to pay N2.5 billion in judgment proceeds awarded to 110 former workers sacked by the university nearly three decades ago.

READ ALSO: Gov Radda commends ABU Zaria for maintaining academic standards

According to the special bulletin, the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) presented management with further observations, concerns and requests just as implementation was about to start.

It said it found the students’ submissions “legitimate, responsible and deserving of further consideration,” and decided to suspend implementation to allow wider consultation and further input from students and other stakeholders.

The university praised the mature, responsible and constructive manner in which students approached the issue.

It called the suspension a show of its commitment to listening to students and to ensuring that decisions with major implications for them get the fullest possible consideration.

It added that it remains mindful of the university’s financial realities and the urgent need to strengthen its resources, and must keep seeking a sustainable balance between students’ concerns and the resources needed to run the university.