Nigeria’s House urges halt to public tertiary fee hikes and orders inquiry
Lawmakers asked education authorities to seek a suspension of fee increases while committees examine their scale and justification, citing concerns about student loans.
Nigeria’s House of Representatives on 27 October urged the federal government to halt recent fee increases at public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, and ordered an inquiry into the increases. Lawmakers raised concerns that higher charges could make the federal student loan scheme less effective for families seeking to finance tertiary education.
The House asked the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to engage public institutions about suspending the increases and reviewing their tuition structures, LEADERSHIP reported. It also asked the government to consider larger financial subventions for the institutions to reduce their reliance on charges paid by students. The resolutions are requests and an investigation mandate; the reports do not establish that any fees have been suspended.
Why lawmakers raised concerns about NELFUND
Ifeoluwa Ehindero, who sponsored the motion, argued that sudden increases could undermine the sustainability and fairness of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, or NELFUND. He said the loan scheme had been designed around existing tuition benchmarks and institutional costs. His concern was that higher charges could widen disparities in loan allocations and make access harder for students from less affluent families.
Ehindero said fees and other mandatory charges had risen at some public institutions by more than 100 per cent, without broad consultation or sufficient regard for families’ economic pressures. That figure is his claim about some institutions, rather than a measured nationwide increase. He warned that continued rises could contribute to student dropouts, campus unrest and declining confidence in affordable education.
NELFUND was established under the Students Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act 2024 to administer the federal student loan scheme, Premium Times reported. It provides interest-free loans to eligible Nigerian students for institutional charges and, where required, upkeep costs. Institutional charges are paid directly to schools.
What the House committees will investigate
The House directed its committees on university education, federal polytechnics and higher technical education, and federal colleges of education to investigate the extent and justification of the increases. Inyang Emil seconded Ehindero’s motion, which was adopted without debate. Speaker Abbas Tajudeen referred the matter to the relevant committees for further legislative consideration, Premium Times reported.
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Sources and context
- Reps move to halt school fee hikes in tertiary institutions, probe impact on NELFUNDPremium Times Nigeria
- Reps Move To Halt Public Tertiary Institutions' School Fees HikeLEADERSHIP Newspapers
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.