Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Qosim Suleiman
Published on 2024-03-31 22:29:23
Baze University, a private institution in Abuja, Nigeria, has recently announced an increase in fees for its students. The university cited an ‘astronomical rise’ in the cost of goods and services as the reason behind the fee hike. The new fees include a 100% rise in hostel fees, a 35% increase in tuition, a 25% increase in laundry charges, and increased fees for the Students’ Industrial Working Experience Scheme (SIWES). The Deputy Registrar and Acting Dean of Students, Kehinde Adekeye, communicated the fee adjustments to students through an internal memo.
According to the memo, the fee adjustments took effect from May and were approved by the University Governing Council. Prior to the increment, students paid between N800,000 and N1.2 million for hostel fees per session, but this has now been doubled. The tuition fees, which were around N3 million per academic session, have been increased by 35%. Medical students previously paid as much as N9 million in their fifth year, and these fees have also seen an increase.
This fee hike at Baze University is part of a broader trend in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Last year, several public universities also increased fees, attributing the changes to the rising costs of maintaining facilities. Despite public universities in Nigeria being tuition-free, these institutions have had to raise fees to cover the expenses of running the institutions.
The Nigerian government had promised a student loan initiative to help students afford higher education. President Bola Tinubu signed the Higher Education Access Act, which established an Education Bank to provide student loans to those in need. However, the government has missed multiple deadlines for the implementation of this initiative. The bill has been sent back to the National Assembly for revision, and a new bill has been passed but awaits the President’s approval.
In the midst of these fee hikes and delays in the student loan program, students and their families are facing financial strain. The cost of education continues to rise, making it difficult for many students to access higher education. As institutions like Baze University and public universities adjust their fees to meet financial demands, the affordability of education in Nigeria remains a significant concern.
As the cost of education in Nigeria continues to rise, the issue of access to higher education for all students becomes more pressing. The challenges faced by students and their families in meeting these financial demands highlight the need for sustainable solutions to ensure that education remains accessible to all.
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