The National Association of Nigerian Students has denounced the presidency’s comment over the rise in tuition, calling it dishonest and false.
On Wednesday, the presidency denied rumours that President Bola Tinubu raised tuition at federally funded universities through Special Advisor to the President on Communication Dele Alake.
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According to Alake, each university has the option to set its own rates for services like registration, lab fees, and hostel lodging that aren’t considered part of the standard tuition.
However, NANS in a statement by its National Public Relations Officer, Giwa Temitope said the presidency’s comment “is a dubious attempt to conceal the real picture and the extent of the crises the Federal Government and authorities of tertiary institutions have driven the students into.”
It also said the Tinubu-led administration displayed a “lack of willingness to ensure the education sector is uplifted”.
“The posture of the Nigerian government towards what we tag astronomical and illogical increment in fees payable across our Universities. We consider the claim by President Tinubu that Nigerian Universities are tuition-free, as deceitful and misleading.”
The apex student body demanded an immediate reversal of the fee increase in all federal.
“The funding of education remains the sole responsibility of the government and it must remain as such. For no reason should the government, as Dele Alake is trying effortlessly to do, shift the responsibility of funding education to the students or their suffering parents.
“We maintain that there is no reason whatsoever for the increment in fees payable across our Universities. Therefore, we demand an immediate and unconditional reversal of the increment in fees in all the affected institutions.
“Yes, federal Universities remain tuition-free but the sundry payment students are being tasked to pay should solely be the sole responsibility of the government.
“As a matter of fact, if truly Tinubu is interested in ensuring that every Nigerian regardless of the economic situation has access to quality education, as painted by Dele Alake in his press text on behalf of the Nigerian presidency, his administration must invest more substantially in the education sector, to ensure access to quality education for everyone, regardless of economic background.
“In light of the outrageous fees paid by Nigerian students, the tuition-free policy is tantamount to free tuition in exchange for outrageous fees!”
