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.
Students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Anambra State, were allegedly prevented from writing their examinations after they failed to purchase textbooks reportedly authored or recommended by some of their lecturers.
According to complaints received from affected students, the students had paid their required school fees and were duly expected to participate in the examinations. However, they were allegedly turned away from the examination hall because they had not purchased the textbooks.
The students expressed frustration over what they described as an unfair practice, questioning why payment of school fees and fulfilment of other academic requirements would not be sufficient to qualify them to sit for their examinations.
One of the students who spoke on the matter alleged that the affected students were asked to leave the examination venue after it was discovered that they had not bought the textbooks.
The students have appealed to the university authorities to investigate the allegation and ensure that no student is denied access to an examination on the basis of failure to purchase a lecturer’s textbook.
For fear of further victimisation, this report will not disclose the department and names of the lecturers involved.
The development has sparked concerns about academic practices and the welfare of students, with calls for university management to clarify whether lecturers are permitted to make the purchase of their textbooks a condition for students to participate in examinations.
The allegation could not be independently verified at the time of filing this report. The university authorities are yet to publicly comment on the matter.
Students and parents are expected to watch closely for the university’s response to the allegation, particularly given the potential implications for students’ academic progression.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has banned, with immediate effect, all forms of orchestration, celebration and “signing-off” activities by final-year students in connection with their final examinations on all university campuses and premises.
In a statement issued by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Comrade Aloysius Emeka Attah, the university said the decision was prompted by recurring incidents of chaos, violence, vandalism and disruption of academic and administrative activities associated with such events.
“Management is also concerned about the infiltration of unauthorised persons onto campus during these activities, which poses a serious threat to the safety and security of students, staff and university property.
“In fulfilment of its statutory obligation to maintain order, protect lives and safeguard property, Management considers such activities unacceptable and a breach of University regulations,” the statement said.
The university spokesman warned that any student found involved in organising or participating in any form of “signing-off” or related activities would face severe disciplinary sanctions, including rustication and withdrawal from the university, in accordance with the Students’ Handbook.
The statement also warned non-students and outsiders against entering the university premises in connection with the banned activities.
“Any person who is not a bona fide student or staff of the University found on University premises in connection with such activities shall be arrested and prosecuted for breach of peace, trespass and disorderly conduct,” it stated.
The Registrar of the university, Dr Chinenye Gloria Okeke, had earlier communicated the directive to the university community through an internal memo, urging students to remain focused on their academic responsibilities.
She also called on staff, students and members of the public to report any planned or ongoing misconduct to the Chief Safety Officer, Dean of Student Affairs or the nearest university authority for immediate action.
The university, under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bond Ugochukwu Stanley Anyaehie, said it remained committed to providing a safe, peaceful and conducive environment for teaching, learning and research.
Management, it added, would not tolerate any action capable of undermining the safety, order and academic environment of the institution.
A hostel building has reportedly collapsed at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, with an unknown number of students feared trapped beneath the rubble.
The multi-storey building reportedly caved in on Sunday night, July 27, 2026, while students were inside.
Eyewitnesses said residents and students in the area heard a loud rumbling sound shortly before the structure suddenly collapsed, sparking panic.
A large crowd reportedly gathered at the scene as residents and students rushed to assist in the rescue efforts before emergency responders arrived.
Rescue operations are ongoing as authorities work to determine the number of people trapped and evacuate those affected.
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.”
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