Expensive university tuition fees, what does the future hold for Nigeria student

IT is widely believed that education is the best legacy

parents can bequeath to their children. Thus, in nations like

the US, Sweden and the Philippines, education is

compulsory to a certain level for citizens. For many parents

in developing countries who know the importance of

education, though poor and uneducated, they can sell their

property or go a borrowing to pay their children's school

fees.


What does the future hold for these children?

The major challenge today is that salaries are not adequate

to take care of basic needs, not to talk of paying school fees.

For those who struggled to save some money, the savings

are inadequate to pay the high fees charged by schools.

Despite this, a very small percentage of the population can

afford to pay millions of naira as school fees for their

children in nursery schools. Some parents even plead with

school owners to increase their fees, especially in private

schools.

State owneduniversities

Thus, in many nursery, primary and secondary schools,

parents pay between N500,000 and N1 million a term.

Tertiary institutions are not left out, especially the private

and state-owned universities. In many Nigerian private

varsities, parents pay between N500,000 and N1.5m per

session, just as some state universities pay between

N150,000 and N250,000 depending on the course of study.

Only students of federal universities pay relatively low fees.

In this report, Vanguard Learning sought the opinions of

stakeholders on what this portends for the common man

and the nation with N18,000 minimum wage and many

states still owing their workers. Just last week, a law student

(names withheld) in Babcock University whose fees suddenly

rose to N1.5m from N950,000 without notice, decided to

quit. According to her, her parents could not afford the

exorbitant fees.

In addition to this, she said N340,000 must be paid by

students for summer courses which are not part of the

credit load. Funny enough, institutions with these

outrageous fees often deny this amount if contacted as they

refer one to their websites. Unfortunately, the amount they

have on the websites is different from what they charge

parents.

Tuition in private varsities range from N300,000 to N2.5m.

Oduduwa University – N356,000; Crawford University –

N400,000 to N600,000 depending on course. Madonna

Varsity's Medicine is N1m. Redeemer's University – N545,000

to N605,000. Bowen University – N500,000 to N750, 000; Afe

Babalola – N675,000 to N1,075,000; Babcock University –

N620,000 to N3m; Benson Idahosa University Benin –

N500,000 to N800,000 depending on course; Fountain

University, Osogbo – N341,000.00 per session for all

courses; Igbinedion University – N540,000 to N800,000.

Public tertiary institutions for reshers cost N50,000 and

above. University of Lagos is N55,000 for Sciences and

N50,000 for non-sciences. Obafemi Awolowo University –

N60,000; Nnamdi Azikiwe University – N65,920 for Sciences

and N60, 920 for non-sciences. University of Uyo – N60,000

for medical, engineering and some courses in the faculty of

Arts, others pay N50,000.

UNIOSUN – N950,000; Enugu State University – N124,900 for

all levels and N10,500 for late payment; Federal University

of Technology Akure – N83,940. Ekiti State University – N77,

500 for regular and N78,000 for part-time students and

Federal University Oye-Ekiti takes N102,000.

Lecturers justify high fees

Justifying the huge amount some varsities charge, lecturers

have said that the fees are okay provided quality education

is gained at the end of the day. The President, American

University of Nigeria, Yola, Dr. Margee Ensign said AUN's

tuition and fees have not changed in the past six years.

"Tuition for 30 credits (10 courses per year) is N1,590,000.

Housing depends on whether you want a single, double or

triple room. Average is N350,000.

Meal plan also depends on how many meals a student

wants per day. Fees are about N200,000 depending on

choices. Annual total is about N2.2 million (N1.1m per

semester). World-class education is not cheap. We are

offering Nigerian parents the very best at one fifth of what

they would pay in the US. This is even better as we have

faculty from 34 countries around the world. No need to

leave home and millions of Nigerians send their children

abroad for education."

Ensign noted that their charges are far less now than some

private secondary schools in Abuja and Lagos. The gap

between what we pay for international salaries and what we

charge our students is covered by the founder, former Vice-

President Atiku Abubakar. Also speaking, Dr. Yinka Alawode,

Lecturer, Lagos State University School of Communication,

said the fees are okay, but government should make bursary

available to all Nigerians.

"Let universities charge their fees and let government make

bursary available to all Nigerians, either as scholarship or as

educational loan repayable in future for all.