The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to suspend further increases in fees charged by public tertiary institutions amid concerns that rising costs could undermine access to higher education.
The resolution was adopted during Tuesday’s plenary following a motion sponsored by Ifeoluwa Ehindero, an All Progressives Congress member representing Ondo State.
The lawmakers’ intervention comes amid reports of fee increases by several public tertiary institutions across the country, which have triggered student protests.
Presenting the motion, Ehindero warned that rising fees could undermine the objectives of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), established to provide eligible students with financial support for tertiary education.
He said education remained a cornerstone of national development, citing Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.
The lawmaker explained that NELFUND was established to provide eligible students with interest-free loans to enable them to pursue tertiary education without being prevented by financial constraints.
He, however, warned that the scheme was designed around existing tuition benchmarks and institutional cost structures, adding that sudden and arbitrary fee increases could undermine its sustainability and effectiveness.
Ehindero also expressed concern that some institutions had introduced higher fees without broad consultation or adequate consideration of the economic challenges facing Nigerian families.
According to him, unchecked increases could widen inequalities in access to education loans, disadvantage students from low-income households and frustrate the fund’s objective of expanding access to higher education.
“If not immediately addressed, it may lead to increased student dropouts, campus unrest, and overall loss of public confidence in government’s commitment to affordable education,” he said.
The motion was unanimously adopted after it was subjected to a voice vote by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas.
Following the adoption, the House urged the Federal Government to consider increasing financial allocations to public tertiary institutions to reduce their dependence on internally generated revenue from student charges.
The lawmakers also mandated the House Committees on University Education, Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, and Federal Colleges of Education to investigate the scale and justification for recent fee increases across public tertiary institutions.
The committees are expected to examine the reasons for the increases and assess their implications for students’ access to higher education.
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