Education
More troubles for Parents as schools raise fees
FG increases Unity Colleges tuition, UNILAG jacks up fees from N19,000 to N190,250
Private schools plan further hike, say 50% increment no longer realistic
Amidst escalating cost of living in the country, some educational institutions have announced significant increases in tuition and other fees, while others are planning to do so in order to cope with the effects of the removal of subsidy on petrol.
This is putting parents on the edge as the current academic session draws to a close for primary and secondary schools, while the calendar of tertiary institutions has been impacted by incessant strikes and crises.
On Friday, primary and secondary schools in Lagos and some other states brought the academic calendar to a close and some informed parents and guardians of pupils to prepare for a significant rise in fees when the next academic session begins in September.
Leading the school owners who had announced tuition fees increment was the Federal Government, which through the Federal Ministry of Education announced an upward review of school fees for new students into its secondary schools otherwise known as Federal Unity Colleges from N19,000 to N100,000.
This was contained in a directive from the office of the Director of Senior Secondary Education Department of the ministry with reference number ADF/120/DSSE/I, dated May 25, 2023, and addressed to all principals of Federal Unity Colleges.
According to the circular titled, ‘Approved fees/ charges for Federal Unity Colleges (1st term) for new students’, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, new students are expected to pay N100,000 instead of the previous N45,000.
The latest fee/charge increment will affect virtually all aspects and activities of the schools, including tuition and boarding, uniform, textbooks, exercise books, prospectus, caution fee, identity card, stationery, clubs and societies, sports, extra lesson and insurance, among others.
“Please be informed that the ministry has approved only the under-listed fees and charges for all Unity Colleges,” the memo read in part.
Similarly, the management of the University of Lagos, Akoka, reportedly increased the fees for undergraduates in the institution.
This was contained in a statement dated July 20, 2023, by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, UNILAG branch, following a meeting with the top management of the institution.
The union said in the statement that fees would be increased for undergraduate students in the next academic session.
Students of the institution previously paid N19,000 for tuition, but the management has now fixed N190,250 for students studying Medicine, while for courses that require laboratories and studios are to pay N140,250.
According to SSANU, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, met with representatives of the three non-academic staff unions on Thursday to discuss issues concerning members’ welfare.
“During the meeting, the proposed fees for undergraduate students of UNILAG were disclosed. Students without lab and studio use will pay N100,750, those with lab use will pay N140,250 and the College of Medicine will pay N190,250,” the statement said.
The SSANU representative at the meeting, Rasaki Yusuf, however, asked for a rebate for staff members with children in the university, but the vice-chancellor insisted that the new charges were set nationally and could not be modified for specific categories of students.
Ogunsola, however, gave the option of staff paying in instalments but with a condition to pay up one month before final exams.
The UNILAG management later issued a statement confirming the development.
The statement said, “After careful deliberations with its stakeholders (students, parents/guardians, staff unions and alumni, among others), the University of Lagos Management has reviewed the obligatory fees (mandatory charges for an academic session/year) of new and returning undergraduate students of the university.
“The adjustment in fees, which will take effect from the first semester of the 2023/2024 academic session, is in view of the prevailing economic realities and the need for the university to be able to meet its obligations to its students, staff and municipal service providers, among others.
“It is also pertinent to note that the university has not increased its obligatory fees in recent years. Management, therefore, seeks the kind understanding and support of students and other stakeholders with the assurance of its commitment to ensuring that students get the best learning experience.”
Private school owners
The President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Chief Yomi Otubela, said the removal of subsidy on petrol had hit the education sector hard and the effects would be felt more in the months ahead.
According to him, most private school owners are battling with the withdrawal of pupils and the resignation of teachers, who are increasingly finding it difficult to commute to school.
Otubela said, “We have so many parents who are withdrawing their children from school for their inability to meet up with the cost of transporting them to school or even paying the school fees. We have teachers who have tendered their resignation because their take-home pays can no longer take them home and back to school.
“We have instances where vendors, who supply one material or the other, have increased the cost of their materials. For instance, publishers have taken the cost of books from N25,000 to N65,000 for all books needed on average in all classes. We have instances where the use of technology is becoming obsolete because people can no longer fuel their generators and there is a limit to what the solar system can power.
“As it is now, we have a report of so many schools selling off their buses because the cost of patronising buses to parents has tripled and there is so much uncertainty as to what the actual price will be with the rising inflation. Generally, there is so much uncertainty within the private school sector. We consulted experts and all of them are beginning to see where many private schools will cease to exist and some will reduce the quality of education while looking for ways to weather the storm.”
“The uncertainty cannot make anybody predict the percentage of increase that might likely come up. All school management are in different meetings and retreats to ascertain how to mitigate the current situation. At the initial stage when subsidy was removed, about 40 per cent to 50 per cent increase in transport fares was advocated.
“But with the further increase in the pump price and the inflation in the open market, no one can determine the percentage increase now although the bill taken home by the students is showing 40 to 50 per cent, there may be a need to review that further in line with new fuel price and the escalating prices of goods and services.”
He called on the government to intervene in the private school sector and state-owned schools by introducing mass transit buses to be dedicated to pupils in nursery and primary schools.
Otubela explained, “One (bus) cannot be attached to a school, but it can be attached to a location that will make it easy for the pupils to trek to schools around the area. If this is done all over the country, it will ameliorate the cost of transportation.
“The government should also set up an education bank that will focus on giving revolving loans at single-digit interest rate to operators in the education sector, which are not school owners alone, but also educators, teachers, publishers, furniture makers, solar energy system providers, generator system providers, instructional materials’ providers and the likes to curtail the rising cost of provision of education.
“The government should sponsor the capacity building of teachers in state-owned and private schools. At least once in a term, there should be capacity building for all the teachers that will be fully sponsored by the Federal Government and this should be the criteria for people to remain in the teaching profession.”
Similarly, the Publicity Secretary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools in Abuja, Paul Edoh, said parents should anticipate at least a 10 per cent hike in tuition fees from the 2023/2024 academic session.
He told one of our correspondents, “There has not been any official statement from the FCT and the local government chapters of the NAPPS with regards to the aforementioned, but schools in rural areas and some schools in the city centre have resolved that already; by September, there will be changes in school fees by the way of upward reviews to help balance the overhead cost and day-to-day running of the schools.
“Some local communities within the AMAC jurisdiction are considering a five per cent increment, while some are looking at 10 per cent, though there is no uniformity as per fee increment.”
Speaking on the challenges being encountered by private school owners, Edoh said, “Sure, you are aware of the current multiple taxes being experienced by school owners. The area councils are demanding taxes, the FCT Administration and the Federal Inland Revenue Service are asking for theirs. Don’t forget that the Department of Quality Assurance’s annual due is still there.”
On if parents had been informed about the proposed hike, he said, “Sure, written notes have been sent to them and some schools have even held PTA meetings on it too.”
The National President, National Parent-Teacher Association, Haruna Danjuma, did not respond to inquiries by one of our correspondents on the way forward for parents as of the time of filing this report.
A school proprietor in the Ibafo area of Ogun State, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it had become clear that private school owners would have to increase their fees in order to stay afloat, adding that the management of his group of schools had concluded plans to raise the tuition fees by between 10 per cent and 15 per cent.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Paul University, Awka, has suspended a member of its academic support staff, Ven. Cornelius C. Eze, an Anglican priest, over allegations of sexual misconduct involving a student.
The development also appears to vindicate the management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, which had earlier denied claims circulating on social media that the individuals involved were members of its staff and student body.
In a statement issued by its Public Relations Department, UNIZIK had clarified that neither the alleged staff member nor the student was affiliated with the institution.
Meanwhile, Paul University has launched an internal investigation into the allegations while relevant law enforcement agencies have also commenced their inquiries.
Ven. Eze, who serves as a Practical Biology Technologist in the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, was placed on indefinite suspension pending the outcome of the university’s disciplinary process and the police investigation.
The suspension was announced in a statement dated July 17, 2026, signed by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Rev. Godisplan Onukwufor.
According to the statement, the allegations were brought to the attention of the university management on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Management said it immediately invited security agencies to intervene in order to prevent a breakdown of law and order following tensions among students.
The university stressed that the suspension is an administrative measure taken without prejudice to the outcome of the investigations.
A video circulating on social media, whose authenticity has not been independently verified, allegedly shows the suspended staff member dressed only in boxer shorts and apparently fleeing from his office amid a commotion. The footage has been widely shared alongside claims that he was caught in a compromising situation by angry students and members of the university community.
However, the university did not comment on the authenticity of the video or the specific circumstances surrounding the incident.
Reaffirming its commitment to ethical standards, the faith-based institution said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, abuse of office, immoral behaviour, and any conduct capable of endangering the safety, dignity, or welfare of students and staff.
The university stated that anyone found culpable after due process would face appropriate disciplinary measures in line with its regulations and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Management also disclosed that counselling and psychological support would be provided for the affected student(s) and other members of the university community.
It urged the public to avoid speculation and the spread of misinformation while investigations are ongoing, assuring parents, guardians, students, and staff of its commitment to maintaining a safe, secure, and morally sound learning environment.
The university added that further updates would be provided as investigations progress.
The presidential candidate of the NDC for the 2027 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has described the Federal Government’s suspension of the proposed increase in examination registration fees as a welcome relief and a victory for the Nigerian people.
The Federal Government on Monday suspended the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
In a statement, the Federal Ministry of Education said the fee adjustment proposal contained in its June 18, 2026 letter had been withdrawn pending broader consultations with stakeholders.
The Ministry explained that the proposed increase was necessitated by the rising cost of conducting credible national examinations. However, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking.
According to the Ministry, consultations will be held with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors, parents, organised labour and other stakeholders before any decision is taken. It also assured Nigerians that the proposed fee review would not take effect until the consultations are concluded, while reaffirming its commitment to protecting students’ welfare.
Reacting to the development, Obi commended the government for listening to the widespread public outcry but maintained that the proposed fee hike should never have been introduced.
“While I commend the authorities for listening to the widespread public outcry and suspending the policy, it must be said that the fee was an unnecessary burden that should never have been introduced at this time of great hardship, when we should be doing everything possible to invest in basic education and reduce the millions of out-of-school children in Nigeria,” he said.
Obi argued that at a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet, access to education should be expanded rather than restricted.
“Education is a fundamental right and a public good, not a source of government revenue,” he said.
He added that imposing multiple fees at the basic education level risks denying many children their right to education.
“At that stage, the State has a duty to invest in educating and preparing its citizens for productive lives, not to erect financial barriers that keep them out of school,” Obi stated.
He further noted that true leadership is demonstrated not only by making decisions but also by having the humility to reverse policies that impose unnecessary hardship on the people, adding that many other anti-people policies deserve similar reconsideration.
Obi thanked citizens, parents and advocacy groups whose collective voices contributed to the suspension of the proposed fee increase, concluding with his familiar message: “A New Nigeria is Possible.”
In a Monday statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, the ministry said the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, had been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review before any final decision is taken.
The ministry, in the release signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, said the suspension followed concerns and feedback from members of the public.
“The Federal Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement said.
According to the ministry, the proposed fee review was driven by rising costs associated with conducting national examinations, noting that registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite increasing operational expenses.
It cited higher costs of logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other services required to maintain the credibility of public examinations.
The statement said the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be put on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.
“The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, has directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking,” it said.
It added that consultations would be held with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other critical partners before any decision is reached.
Accordingly, the ministry said the proposed review of examination registration fees would not take effect as earlier communicated until the consultation process is concluded.
The Federal Ministry of Education reiterated that students’ welfare, equitable access to quality education and responsible policymaking remain central to the Federal Government’s education agenda and pledged to keep the public informed throughout the consultation process.
FG said it approved N50,000 as the new examination fee for WAEC and NECO for secondary school candidates from 2027.
The initial registration fee was N27,500, which means the new increment comes with an 82 per cent hike.
In a statement on June 18, 2026, issued by the Director of Senior Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, the approval followed a request by WAEC for an upward review of the fee for the Senior School Certificate Examination for candidates from 2027.
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students had earlier kicked against the Federal Government’s approval of a uniform N50,000 fee for candidates.
Education
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Education
Nigerian Polymath Kamdi Okeke Graduates Summa Cum Laude, Secures Historic $442,044 Medical Scholarship in USA
Kamdi Okeke, 21, an international student from Nigeria on June 11, 2026, graduated summa cum laude (First-Class with Highest Distinction) from Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering.
This August, with a 3.95 GPA, a 521 MCAT, and rich background in community service, Biomedical and AI innovation, he is heading to medical school to pursue his MD. After recieving acceptances from five top-tier U.S. institutions – including the Ivy League’s Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) – and a waitlist spot at Johns Hopkins, he is ready to begin his medical journey. His admission to UPenn comes with one of the most significant academic honors in the United States: the Perelman School of Medicine Twenty-First Century Scholars’ Award. This meritorious scholarship covers the full cost of tuition, fees and attendance for the four-year MD program – a testament to his status as one of the most promising medical students in the United States.
Okeke’s Award letter reads in part, “Congratulations!You have been selected to recieve the prestigious Twenty-First Century Scholars’ Award at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. This meritorious scholarship … provides 4 years of full tuition and fees for the MD program. Beyond its significant financial value, the award recognizes an applicant’s outstanding achievement and leadership across a variety of domains, including natural, social and behavioral sciences, arts and humanities, civic and global engagement, community service, and entrepreneurship. Receiving this award is also a testament to your future leadership potential within medicine and healthcare, which we look forward to developing further at Perelman School of Medicine. Our stellar faculty is committed to providing you with a comprehensive medical education that is enriched with myriad curricular opportunities and extracurricular experiences to help you attain all of your career goals … We are all here to support your medical education at the Perelman School of Medicine, and hope you will make Philadelphia your home for the next several years, if not beyond! … we look forward to the privilege of providing you with a superlative education within a phenomenal University community.”
This award, one of the most prestigious in global medical education, follows Okeke’s trajectory of excellence that spans two continents and multiple disciplines.
A Foundation of Excellence/COVID-19 Community Response in Nigeria
Okeke’s journey to the pinnacle of American medical education began in Enugu, Nigeria. A true polymath, he graduated top of his Spring of Life Secondary School class of 2021, recording historic performance with straight distinctions in WAEC/SSCE.
Earlier at 15, Okeke demonstrated leadership in community service during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when he founded Youth Advocacy Against COVID-19 (YAAC) in Enugu. The initiative mobilized student volunteers to promote public health awareness through social media campaign on coronavirus containment.
The group also designed, produced and distributed protective face shields against Covid-19 infection. Speaking to a Nigeria national daily, The Sun, on 26 November, 2020, concerning the face shield project, Okeke explained, “We developed a cost-effective design for transparent face shields using Fusion 360 design software to create the visual representation of the face shield we wanted to make. Then, to keep our organization out of project pinch and have a proper project plan over time, we developed Gantt Charts, our project management tool, which assisted us in the planning and scheduling aspects of the projects, indicating the status of, as well as who is responsible for, each task in the project. We were thus able to effectively manage time and resources to maximize production. To fund the project, we emptied our piggy banks as we searched for, and procured, the materials for the production of the face shields: transparent film, 1.75mm thick foam, elastic bands, gum, adhesive tape, stapler machine, pins and other miscellaneous materials. After purchasing the first stock of the raw materials, we converted the family study into a makeshift workshop and production started.”
The group distributed more than 2000 protective face shields to healthcare workers and students across hospitals and schools in Enugu state, supporting frontline pandemic response efforts.
Awards at Drexel University
During his undergraduate studies in the US, Okeke’s tenure was marked by significant contributions to the scientific and entrepreneurial communities. He distinguished himself through academic excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership, earning multiple competitive awards. These include:
(i) Paul Scheffler Endowed Award: Recognition for “Outstanding Contribution” to his field of study – for two consecutive years, 2025 and 2026,
(ii) Baiada Institute Innovation Tournament — 1st place prize, 2024 – awarded for the most compelling startup concept and strongest presentation to the judging panel,
(iii) Spring Drexel Startups Fund Competition Winner, 2024 & 2026, granted to startups/ventures demonstrating exceptional ideas with clear value propositions, strong execution capabilities, and scalable business models,
(iv) Tau Beta Pi (TBP) National Engineering Honor Society Membership, 2024, recognizing students in the top eight percent of their engineering class,
(v) Dean’s List — winter 2022 to graduation
(vi) A.J. Drexel Scholarship and Drexel Grants: 2022 – 2026, in recognition of his undergraduate potential.
Research Work at University of Pennsylvania
Okeke participated in orthopedic research at the McKay Orthopedic Research Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, where, besides contributing to develop wearable sensor algorithms quantifying real-world knee loading in veterans with osteoarthritis, he worked on biomechanics and rehabilitation studies investigating mobility during pregnancy, and tendon healing following injury.
His work contributed to ongoing studies aimed at understanding degenerative joint conditions and improving musculoskeletal health outcomes.
Meddibia: Bridging Healthcare Technology Gaps in Nigeria
As an intern working with modern Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems in U.S. healthcare settings, and worried by his own experience with paper-based medical record back home in Nigeria, Okeke identified an opportunity to improve healthcare equity in sub-Saharan Africa. He collaborated with two other partners in Meddibia, an AI-powered healthcare software startup, to develop Meddibia EMR (Electronic Medical Record) system tailored for low-resource environments of sub-Saharan Africa.
The platform digitizes paper medical records while maintaining functionality despite unreliable electricity and internet connectivity. The goal is to modernize healthcare documentation and improve patient access across sub-Saharan Africa.
The team emerged the top winner of the spring 2024 Drexel Startups Fund Competition hosted by the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship.
Evaluating and highlighting its mission to digitize medical records in underserved regions, the Philadelphia-based Starter’s Review, a news outlet that covers broader Philadelphia startup landscape, on August 20, 2024, hailed Meddibia as “a beacon of hope for millions of people in developing countries.” It went further to write, “The Drexel community is proud to support these young innovators”.
WazobiaCode: Expanding Opportunities through Coding Education
Motivated by economic inequality he witnessed amongst his peers while growing up in Nigeria, Okeke led a multi-disciplinary team of Nigerian students in the U.S. who co-founded WazobiaCode, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to teaching programming skills to underserved youth across sub-Saharan Africa.
The organization launched a pilot online coding boot camp in Nigeria, aimed at equipping young people with marketable digital skills and improving their employment prospects. The initiative competed at the Drexel University Baiada Institute Innovation Tournament in the spring of 2024, and came tops. The award enabled the team to offer the pilot program in Nigeria, free of charge, to participants which equipped hundreds of Nigerian youth with digital skills.
Cofounding Xploit: AI Security Innovation
In November 2025, Okeke turned his attention to the burgeoning field of AI security. He co-founded Xploit, an autonomous cybersecurity tool designed to identify vulnerabilities in AI agents. The platform addresses emerging risks as businesses increasingly deploy AI systems capable of performing real-world actions using integrated tools.
The team developed Xploit as an automated red-teaming platform that simulates attacks on AI agents to detect weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them. The startup first pitched at the
Startup-in-a-Weekend Hackathon hosted by The Foundry & Velric between November 21 to 23, 2025 in Philadelphia where it competed amongst over 100 entries and won the star prize in the “New Project Track” category.
Later, Xploit proved its worth at the Venture Building Hackathon in Philadelphia hosted, March 12 – 14, 2026, by United Effects Ventures (UEV), a pre-seed venture studio sponsored by JP Morgan, Nvidia and others.
Outperforming 15 other competing teams, Xploit secured the grand prize, with industry experts hailing Xploit’s pivot toward a “continuous red-teaming model” as the definitive future of AI vulnerability management, a promising solution particularly for small and medium-sized businesses lacking dedicated cybersecurity teams.
Lately, on June 9, 2026, Xploit got a further boost in the spring 2026 Drexel Startups Fund Competition where it won the star prize in funding, in addition to access to mentorship, incubation space in the Baiada Institute, and introduction to angel and venture capital funding from the University’s alumni network.
A Path toward Medicine and Global Impact
For Okeke, the upcoming move to medical training at UPenn is less of a pivot and more of a convergence. His work to date which sits at a rare and vital intersection – spanning biomedical research, automated AI safety platforms, and youth empowerment – reflects a deeply rooted commitment to leveling playing fields and democratizing technology.
His trajectory stands as a powerful testament to what is possible, offering a masterclass in global ambition for international students, demonstrating that a rigorous Nigerian secondary school education can serve as a launch pad to the highest echelons of the Ivy League. More than just a personal milestone, his story underscores the rising tide of Nigerian innovators shaping global academia, and the immense potential of tech-driven solutions to close worldwide healthcare disparities.
Ultimately, Okeke’s journey, stretching from distinction-strewn beginnings in Enugu to the historic halls of Ivy League medicine, embodies the true spirit of a modern polymath: versatile, resilient, and relentlessly excellent.
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