The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to intervene in the rising cost of higher education by increasing funding for public tertiary institutions and pressing them to suspend planned school fee hikes.
The lawmakers also called on the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to engage institutional authorities on reviewing tuition charges to reflect the prevailing economic situation.
The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Ifeoluwa Ehindero, representing Akoko-South West/Akoko-South East Federal Constituency of Ondo State, during Tuesday’s plenary.
The motion, titled “Need to halt the recent increase in school fees by public tertiary institutions and its impact on Nigerian Education Loan Fund,” highlighted concerns that rising tuition costs could undermine the objectives of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Ehindero, who chairs the House Committee on NELFUND, argued that the loan scheme was designed around existing tuition benchmarks, warning that sudden increases in institutional charges could weaken its effectiveness and sustainability.
He noted that several public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education had recently raised tuition fees and other compulsory charges, with some increases reportedly exceeding 100 per cent.
According to the lawmaker, the increases were introduced without adequate consultation or sufficient consideration of the financial difficulties confronting Nigerian households.
He warned that unchecked fee increases could widen inequality in access to education, disadvantage students from low-income families and frustrate the loan scheme’s objective of making higher education more accessible.
READ ALSO: Opposition Lawmakers Walk Out As Reps Pass State Police Bill
Ehindero further cautioned that escalating education costs could lead to increased student dropouts, unrest on campuses and declining public confidence in the government’s commitment to affordable education.
Following support for the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to consider raising financial allocations to public tertiary in institutions to reduce their reliance on revenue generated through student charges.
It also asked the Ministry of Education and the NUC to engage institutional managements on suspending fee increases and conducting a comprehensive review of tuition structures in line with prevailing economic realities.
In addition, the House mandated its committees on University Education, Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, and Federal Colleges of Education to investigate the scale of recent fee increases and determine the justification for the additional charges.
The proposed investigation is expected to examine the reasons behind the increases and assess whether the charges are warranted, while considering the need to protect access to higher education for students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.