As Nigerian parents groan with the burden of hike in tuition fees across tertiary institutions in the country, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to explore alternative methods of funding tertiary education. The group lamented that overreliance on tuition fees was not a sustainable model for raising funds for the educational sector. The group pointed out that despite the recent directive from the President to tertiary institutions to maintain the current school fees, many higher education institutions have increased their fees, causing significant hardship for students and their families.
The spokesperson of the group, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, made this call in a letter addressed to President Tinubu and shared with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday. “We also implore you to investigate alternative avenues for funding tertiary education to alleviate the heavy reliance on tuition fees.” According to the letter, the current situation is alarming, with millions of students unable to afford the exorbitant fees charged by these institutions.
“As a consequence, numerous students are compelled to drop out of school, forsaking their aspirations for an education and the realization of their potential. It is imperative that swift action is taken to address this issue. Students represent the future of our country, and they should have access to quality education without an overwhelming financial burden.
“While we acknowledge the necessity for universities and tertiary institutions to generate revenue, it should not come at the expense of students’ education. We, therefore, appeal to you to ensure that institutions adhere to your directives to maintain the current fee structure and to implement appropriate measures to penalize institutions that defy this directive,” a part of the letter read.
CNG also urged Tinubu to reconsider the current palliatives and work towards implementing measures that can genuinely make a difference in the lives of citizens. Furthermore, Abdul-Azeez stated, “We urge you to pay attention to the concerns raised regarding perceived imbalances in your appointments. It is crucial that qualified individuals occupy key positions, irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds. The unity and progress of the country depend on fairness and equity in all areas, including governance,” he said.