Former Nigerian Senator, Shehu Sani, has strongly condemned the recent trend of public universities in Nigeria raising tuition fees, describing it as the ‘commercialization of university education’ in a post on his verified social media handle.
Expressing his disapproval, Sani emphasized that the move towards commercializing higher education is unsuitable for a developing nation like Nigeria. He warned against the potential risks that this poses for the future of both the youth and the country at large.
In his statement, the former Senator of Kaduna Central expressed deep concern that the increase in tuition fees could effectively exclude the children of the less privileged from accessing higher education, thereby posing a threat to national development.
Appealing to the conscience of those who once benefited from free education, Sani urged for a collective effort to ensure that the same opportunity is extended to the younger generation, stating, “The generation that ‘got’ free education should ‘give’ free education.”
This comes amidst reports from Media Talk Africa indicating a significant surge in school fees by various institutions, with some universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education implementing fee hikes of up to 200 per cent. For instance, the tuition at Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) in Ijagun, Ogun State has escalated from N65,000 to N240,000.
The move has stirred a national conversation, as concerned stakeholders and members of the public weigh in on the implications of such dramatic fee increases in the educational sector.
