FG Demands Halt in Tuition Fees in Federal Universities

The Federal Government has warned that no Federal University should demand tuition fees from students stating that what’s collected is for payment of some charges on the school premises.

This was made known by the permanent secretary at the federal education ministry, David Adejo on Tuesday at a public hearing by the House of Representatives ad committee on Student Loans in Abuja.

Mr. Adejo made it clear that what Federal Universities are free to collect is the service charges that help in the running of the school.

“What they collect is charges to cover the cost of accommodation, ICT, power, among others. It is the governing council of the universities that has the power to approve such charges for them,” the government official told the parliament, “The only university that increased charges after the signing of the student loans act is the University of Lagos.”

Mr Adejo added as stated by NAN, “They came to the ministry with a proposal to increase their charges because all governing councils were dissolved, and we gave them approval,” adding that “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.”

While refuting the claim that signing the student loan led to the increase in tuition fees reiterated that the charges collected by the universities were used to pay for some services, including electricity bills.