Fee Hike: Group demands enforcement of Tinubu’s directive to tertiary institutions

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called for the enforcement of President Bola Tinubu’s directive that public universities should avoid arbitrary increases in school fees.

More than a dozen public universities have increased school fees in recent months, most of them by more than 100 per cent.

Though the federal government said the increases were at the discretion of the institutions, President Bola Tinubu in July directed that institutions should “avoid an arbitrary increase in sundry fees payable, and where possible defer further increases.”

But the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), for instance, announced a fee increase last week, more than a month after the president’s directive.

CAPP, therefore, urged the president to take decisive action to enforce the directive and ensure the full protection of Nigerian students.

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‘‘We reiterate that genuine solutions to Nigeria’s educational challenges reside in raising budgetary allocations to the sector and taking dedicated steps to enhance the quality of learning experiences and infrastructure in line with global standards. Commercialising education and restricting access for many Nigerians is neither the answer nor the way forward. Such measures would only impede our nation’s progress and further pauperize our society,” CAPPA said in a statement by its Policy and Research Officer, Zikora Ibeh.

“Increments ill-timed, insensitive”

CAPPA condemned the recent hike in school fees across Nigerian public universities and described the recent increases as outrageous and unconscionable.

The organisation also rejected the university authorities’ explanation that the fee hikes are inevitable due to current economic realities.

Ms Ibeh said the underfunding of the nation’s education system is worrisome despite the country’s abundant resources.

She said: ‘‘Students and their families should not be made the scapegoats for dismal economic conditions spurred by ineffective government policies and a chronic underfunding of the education sector. It is a glaring indictment on the nation that, despite Nigeria’s abundant wealth and potential, our budgetary allocation to education lingers shamefully below global recommendations.’’

She said the increments, which threaten the education of indigent Nigerian students, are a violation of their right to education.

“This disheartening trend is not just a knife in the back of poor students and their families struggling amid grim economic conditions but also a direct assault on the fundamental right to education as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, as amended,” the group said in a statement.

Ms Ibeh further condemned the actions of the Lagos State Police and the management of the University of Lagos during a peaceful protest by students demanding the reversal of the fee hike on 6 September.

‘‘The victimisation, use of tear gas, and arrests of young students for peacefully protesting the fee hike is both a moral and democratic travesty. Such strong-arm tactics betray the very principles that an institution of higher learning should uphold,’’ she added.

The police released the two students the following day.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the organisation, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the fee hikes are ill-timed, noting that Nigerians are still grappling with the increase in the cost of living that accompanied the removal of fuel subsidy.

He said the non-reversal of the increase would mean “countless students being pushed out of the system, forced to watch their dreams crumble or resort to back-breaking, often perilous and mentally draining menial jobs to keep their academic hopes on life support.’’

The organisation said the current national minimum wage remains paltry while the cost of living increased astronomically yet, the government has failed to fulfil its commitment to alleviate the plight of impoverished Nigerian workers.

“This sad situation has further worsened the hardships of austerities and soaring living costs. To then expect already battered Nigerians to make additional sacrifices for their children’s education is to rub salt on an open wound,’’ the statement noted.

CAPPA accused the government of commercialising tertiary education, saying it is evident in the fee increment.

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“The steep hikes have failed to translate into tangible improvements in the educational milieu. Students continue to navigate decayed lecture halls and living quarters and lack adequate academic infrastructure, consequently facing a steady decline in the quality of their academic experiences.”

CAPPA, therefore, called for unity among stakeholders and pro-education groups in the country, urging them to stand in firm resolution against the fee hikes.

Background

More than a dozen public universities have increased school fees in recent months, most of them by more than 100 per cent.

Though the federal government said the increases were at the discretion of the institutions, President Bola Tinubu directed that the institutions “avoid the arbitrary increase in sundry fees payable, and where possible defer further increases.”

Nevertheless, the existing increase coincided with the increase in the cost of living that followed the removal of the petrol subsidy by Mr Tinubu’s administration.

This has resulted in student protests across different campuses, calling on the university authorities to reverse the fee hike.

The National Association of Nigerians Students (NANS) recently succeeded in getting the authorities at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to reduce the hike. The student body has also vowed to replicate the intervention across other institutions where school fees were recently hiked.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe