Fees Hike: What Nigerian Universities Are Saying

Last week, the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)’s University of Ibadan’s, Dr. Deji Omole was said to have made a revelation that not less than thirty-eight universities have increased their tuition fees.

This report stirred uproar in the media as parents and students of the supposed universities became very anxious as to confirm the authenticity of this report.

However, some of the universities across the country connected to the increment in tuition fees have reacted to the news.

According to the press statement made by Obafemi Awolowo University’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, he said the university does not intend to inflate the tuition fee at the time at all.

The press statement partly reads:

“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no
meeting, either of the University Management or Senate, where the fee
increment was Announced, and the Vice
Chancellor of the university, Professor Tope Ogunbodede, has not contemplated on increasing any fee in OAU. In actual fact, his administration is poised to making the welfare of staff and students a topmost priority.”

The University’s management however advised the students to ignore the purported news.

Also, the University of Lagos has hitherto reacted to the report.

According to the Deputy Registrar at the
Information Unit, Mr. T.O. Adebule, the institution said: “the university wishes to inform its students, their parents and the general public that the statement is not true and it is a complete distortion of facts.”

While the Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University Okada, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, was debunking the report, which included the private university as one of the institutions that have increased their fees, he noted that “In fact, rather than increase, we have lightened the burden of paying fees by allowing parents to pay in installments.”

University of Benin has also claimed that the university did not make a move to skyrocket the students’ fees.
The Public Relations Officer of the institution ,
Mr . Michael Osasuyi , expressively claimed that:

“The university has not increased any fees . When you look at that paper (ASUU’s statement ), you will discover that it was not ASUU – UNIBEN that said so. As of this morning, UNIBEN has not increased school fees.

“We do not know where the issue of N12,000 to N49, 500 is coming from. We want to appeal to parents that if they even go to our online platform, they will see that the University of Benin has not increased fees . Parents should try as much as possible to verify.” He posited.