Ehindero Leads Reps’ Bid to Tackle Tuition Fee Hikes

The House of Representatives has backed a move by Ifeoluwa Babajide Ehindero to tackle rising tuition fees in public tertiary institutions, amid concerns that increases exceeding 100 per cent in some schools could deny students access to higher education.

Ehindero, who represents Akoko North-East/Akoko North-West Federal Constituency, raised the matter in a motion considered during plenary on Tuesday.

He expressed concern that sharp increases in tuition and other institutional charges could place higher education beyond the reach of students from economically disadvantaged families.

The lawmaker cited Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which directs government policy towards ensuring equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.

He also highlighted the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides interest-free loans to eligible students to ease the financial burden of tertiary education.

Ehindero warned that steep increases in institutional charges could weaken the impact of the loan scheme if the cost of education outstripped the support available to students.

“Access to higher education should not become increasingly difficult for Nigerian students because of sudden and substantial increases in institutional charges,” he said.

“While we recognise the financial pressures facing our institutions, there must be a careful balance between institutional sustainability and the ability of ordinary Nigerian families to afford education.”

He called for transparency and wider consultation in setting fees, urging institutions to consider prevailing economic conditions before introducing new charges.

“Student financing initiatives such as NELFUND are intended to reduce financial barriers to education. However, when charges rise sharply without adequate consideration of students’ circumstances, the very objective of widening access to higher education may be weakened,” he said.

The lawmaker stressed the need for collaboration among the Federal Government, regulatory agencies and institutional managers to protect access to affordable education while addressing the funding needs of public institutions.

Following consideration of the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to increase financial subventions to public tertiary institutions to reduce their reliance on student charges as a source of internally generated revenue.

The lawmakers also urged the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to engage public tertiary institutions on suspending fee increases and reviewing their tuition structures.

They said the review should reflect current economic realities and the financial circumstances of students and their families.

The House further mandated its committees on University Education, Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, and Federal Colleges of Education to investigate recent fee increases and determine their extent and justification.

The motion was referred to the relevant House committees for further legislative action.