Nigerian students have taken to popular social media and social networking site Twitter to express their grievances over the unprecedented hike in tuition fees across various tertiary institutions, especially universities in the country.
Reacting to a tweet by renowned journalist Oseni Rufai, the students couldn’t help but lament their consternations and mixed reactions towards the hike in tuition fees in the country, which is as a result of the signing into law of ‘The Access to Higher Education Act, 2023, otherwise known as the Student Loan Act, an Education Loan Fund to help Nigerians fund their education while they pay in installments.
Chronicle NG reports that while reacting to the signing into law of the Students’ Loan Act by President Bola Tinubu, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the President of ASUU, stated that the law may hurt students who rely on tuition-free institutions to acquire knowledge.
Osodeke stated “a country where more than 133 million are living below the poverty line and you want to introduce tuition fees, it will be counterproductive”.
Following the signing into law of the Act, many tertiary institutions have introduced and skyrocketed tuition fees across the country.
This hike in tuition fees across the country necessitate seasoned journalist, Oseni Rufai via his official Twitter account to say “this increase in university fees na wa ooo”.
Reacting to his tweets, Nigerian students elicited mixed reactions over the astronomical rise in the price of fees at their various universities.
Reacting to Oseni, KUROGODSPOWER stated that while other countries are cutting the cost of education, the situation in Nigeria is entirely different. He said “Other government in other countries are cutting cost of education but in my own country it’s different thing entirely”.
For Shinnayomi200 , he questioned when the cost of government will be reduced in the country. “my own take is when are we going to reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria, why must it always be mases at the receiving end?”
Charlesochapa stated that the increase in tution fees will not help the universities. He said “I attended a public university and I had to stop becos of the conditions of our lecture venues. It’s crowdy, stuffy and u hardly listen to the lecturer speaking. This increase in tuition fees will not better the conditions of our Universities”.
Another twitter user simply identified as Skilful of Port harcourt @skilful_nnanna argued that “Nigerian politicians are just doing anything that will benefit them. They don’t care how the common man will survive”.
Speaking against the hike in tuition fees, pastor Boniface decried the way politicians seek the approval of the masses in order to get into power but in turn, formulate policies that are counter-productive to the masses. He said “People in power, shouldn’t price the poor out of existence in Nigeria. It’s a great disservice to humanity for people to seek the approval of the asses for political office; and then, turned against them by formulating policies that will either decimate of annihilate them”.
Ak Lot called the increase in tuition fees a “deliberate attempt to deny the children of the common people from going to school, because even the so-called loan: I believe that poor man no go see am. The educated we become, the more we pepper them”.
For M.A.M.A.T.E.E.0.0.1 , she supported the increase while comparing how much is paid as tuition fees in Nigeria to how much it is paid abroad. She also stated that the meagre amount paid in tertiary institutions in the country is not enough to guarantee quality education stating that “University is not for everybody”.
“How much do people pay abroad for 1year Msc? U believe less than 40k being paid for a whole year in OAU is enough for quality education of graduate while a nursery school pupil pays above 100k in Lagos. There is need to uplift our education. You know this RUFAI” she said.
Reacting to her claims, Anzeh stated that comparing two parallel systems doesn’t do justice to her claims. He said “how much do people earn abroad. What are the facilities available in the Universities. What are the amenities provided by the government for their people. Please do not compare two parallel systems”.
Ak Lot argued that “If Libyans can go to school for free from kindergarten to collage with just their oil money, why should any Nigerian even pay 10k/”
Eben sunlola called the increase in tuition fees irresponsibility on the part of the federal government. He said “Only heartless Nigerians will support this irresponsible government. Comparing abroad to Nigeria is very unfair. Nigerians are already going through hardship, even if they should increase anything, they should allow Nigerians to adjust to the effect of fuel subsidies removal”.
