Students enrolled in Ogun State-owned tertiary institutions are raising their voices against the recent surge in tuition fees. Despite the already exorbitant costs of education, these institutions seem to have decided to play a game of “how high can you go?” with their fee structure. Even the less privileged are now left pondering if education is a luxury they can’t afford.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun State chapter, voiced their discontent during a press conference in Abeokuta. NANS Chairman, Francis Adeyanju, labeled the fee hike as an “abnormal” move, accusing the authorities of intentionally making life unbearable for students and the entire state populace.
Adeyanju, flanked by Kehinde Mathew, the National President of the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS), asserted that this fee escalation is a deliberate attempt to bar economically vulnerable students from accessing affordable and quality education. The chairman expressed dismay at the government’s apparent indifference to the struggles of students and the deteriorating state of education in the state.
He lamented, “It is no secret that the government has nearly forsaken tertiary education, evident in the deplorable state of our campuses. Our schools now resemble dilapidated structures, lacking adequate teaching and non-teaching staff, with an unconducive learning environment and unpaid staff salaries.”
Adeyanju highlighted specific instances of the tuition surge, citing Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) and Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), where returning students face a jaw-dropping increase from N76,500 to N180,000 and N62,000 to N120,000, respectively. Ogun State Polytechnic of Health and Allied Sciences witnessed a similar pattern, with fees skyrocketing from N67,000 to N109,000 for indigenous students and N77,400 to N124,000 for non-indigenous students.
Expressing their concern as progressive-minded Nigerian student leaders, the NANS chairman emphasized that while the government has the right to explore various revenue streams, exploiting tertiary institutions as cash cows is unacceptable. He urged the government to view these institutions as platforms to groom future leaders, not merely as revenue sources.
In a bold ultimatum, the student leaders gave the Ogun State Government a four-day deadline to reverse the fee hikes. Adeyanju warned of mass protests across the state if their demands are ignored. The looming question now is whether the government will heed these demands or leave the economically disadvantaged grappling with the harsh reality that in this country, if you’re poor, you’re essentially left to fend for yourself in the pursuit of education.
