The Federal Government has reiterated that federal universities in the country are prohibited from imposing tuition fees. David Adejo, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, emphasized this during a public hearing in Abuja held by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on student loans.
Adejo expressed disappointment over the recent rise in fees by federal universities.
He said, “What they collect is charges to cover the cost of accommodation, ICT, and power, among others. It is the Governing Councils of the Universities that have the power to approve such charges for them.
“The only university that increased charges after the signing of the student loans act is the University of Lagos.
“They came to the Ministry with a proposal to increase their charges because all Governing Councils were dissolved and we gave them approval.
“Immediately that was done, there was a resolution from the House stopping the increase in fees and the President also gave a directive stopping any increase in fees and that is where it is, even though several others have brought their proposal,” he said.
Adejo mentioned that the fees collected by the institutions were utilized for various services, including covering electricity expenses.
He contested the notion that the enactment of the Students’ Loan Act was the cause of the rise in university charges.
Despite the fees, Adejo pointed out that the universities were struggling to meet certain financial obligations.
He confirmed that plans were established for the introduction of the student loans program during the 2023/2024 academic year.
Adejo conveyed that President Bola Tinubu had directed the completion of necessary preparations for the launch of the scheme, scheduled for September.
Teseer Ugbor, the committee’s chairman, noted that the student loan was a government effort to reduce the hardship faced by Nigerians and enhance access to higher education.
However, he expressed concerns about fund disbursement, repayment by beneficiaries, and the potential exclusion of some students from accessing the loan.
He advocated for open discussions while amending the law to ensure that all interested Nigerian students could benefit from the loan.
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