“Callous, Insensitive”, Group Reacts to Tuition Fees Increase in Nigerian Universities

• A pro-labour civil society movement, Joint Action Front (JAF), has demanded immediate reversal of hiked school fees in Nigerian federal universities and other tertiary institutions
• The group also criticised the increment of the federal government colleges’ school fees
• JAF described the fee hike as indication that the removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu-led government would not benefit the masses

Ikeja, Lagos state - The Joint Action Front (JAF) has described school fee increments in several Nigerian institutions as “callous and insensitive”.

The body stated this in a statement issued on Sunday, September 24, and jointly signed by Dipo Fashina and Abiodun Aremu.

According the JAF, the decision of authorities to increase school fees “adds to the burden of working people and the poor”.

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Tuition hike: What parents who can’t afford expensive private schools should do, Shehu Sani reveals

A report by Vanguard newspaper noted the group's position.

JAF protests fee hike by public universities

The group also bemoaned high petrol prices, economic hardship, inflation, and anti-poor neo-liberal policies of the Tinubu-led administration, TheCable also reported.

JAF's statement partly reads:

“The hike in fees portrayed the Tinubu regime does not care about the well-being of working people and the poor, including access to education by their children.

“These criminal increments have equally given the lie to the claim of Tinubu’s regime that one of the reasons for the removal of the so-called petrol subsidy is to make more money available for education and infrastructure.”

Tuition hike: Shehu Sani advises parents

In a piece of related news, Legit.ng reported that the former senator of Kaduna Central District, Shehu Sani sent a message to Nigerians especially parents following school resumption.

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President Tinubu asked to probe missing $15bn, N200bn of oil revenues

The lawmaker urged parents to send their children to schools they can afford.

UNIJOS students protest school fees hike

Legit.ng also reported that students of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) in Plateau state protested the increase in school fees and other services rendered by the institution.

The students blocked roads leading to the campus in protest on Tuesday, September 12.

Students react as UNILAG hikes tuition fees

In the same vein, students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) called on the management of the learning institute to reconsider their decision to increase tuition fees.

Students of the institution previously paid N19,000, but the management fixed new fees at N190,250 for students studying medicine, while for courses that require laboratory and studio, students were to pay N140,250.

Source: Legit.ng