Reps demand halt to varsity fee hikes, urge FG funding

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to boost funding for public tertiary institutions and to stop proposed fee hikes, maintaining that the current educational loan fund is at risk. The House raised concerns about the impact of increasing tuition fees on students and the sustainability of the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

The call came after a motion, proposed by Ifeoluwa Ehindero, was passed at this week's plenary. Ehindero, who chairs the House Committee on NELFUND, warned that continuous tuition and charge increases could force more students to quit, trigger unrest, and erode public confidence in the government's commitment to affordable education.

He noted that several public institutions across the country had recently increased their tuition fees by over 100 percent without consultation or consideration of students' economic difficulties. The House urged the Federal Government to increase financial aid to public tertiary institutions to reduce their reliance on student-generated revenue from fees. It also called for a comprehensive review of tuition structures to align with economic realities.