The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)
will resist plans by some tertiary institutions to increase
tuition fees, its president, Chinonso Obasi has said.
Obasi, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, said
that NANS had received the report that no fewer than 38
tertiary institutions had concluded plans to jack up
tuition fees.
The NANS president said that the association was pained
by the move as Nigerian students had over the years
been made to bear the brunt of administrative ineptitude
of managers of tertiary institutions.
“In saner climes, education funding includes revenue
from researches and consultative collaborations.
Implementation of UNESCO strategies, particularly
commercialising research findings should occupy Nigeria
educational institutions rather than constant hike in
tuition fees payable by hapless students,” he said.
“However NANS believes that the planned hike in tuition
fees would be the last straw that would break the cycle of
obnoxious levy on learning and pursuit of education.”
He regretted that the APC-led administration had not
showed enough commitment to improving the education
sector and the plight of students.
Obasi said that the students were made to study under
poor conditions in spite their positive contributions to the
success of the administration’s key policies and
programmes, such as the fight against corruption,
maintenance of peace and unity of the country.
He said that Nigerian students did not deserve such
harsh punishment as fee increase would further limit the
capacity of students to dream of a better future.
“Consequently NANS wishes to serve notice to the
authorities concerned that Nigerian students will never
endure any increase in tuition at this time of the nation’s
socio-economic challenges.
“If administrators of Nigeria’s educational institutions
have run out of ideas of funding and sustaining
educational institutions in the country, they should feel
free to liaise with students to explore new ways of
funding the institutions.
“While we express our readiness to dialogue with chief
executives of tertiary institutions, NANS wishes to
reiterate the fact that Nigerian students have been
patient with the President Muhammadu Buhari
administration.
“The President Buhari administration should recognise
that this is time to reward the understanding and
cooperation of Nigerian students with education subsidy,
proper funding of education and adequate welfare
initiatives for students,” he said.
Obasi called on well-meaning individuals and
stakeholders to hasten and find lasting solutions to the
deplorable condition of the education sector in the
country.
TheCable
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