By: Gbenga Akingbule
National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), on Thursday, issued a two-week ultimatum to the Governing Councils of Federal Universities across the country and the University of Maiduguri, (UNIMAID) in particular, to reverse its upward review of students’ registration fees and charges.
Gatekeepers News reports that NANS also directed all students in Federal Universities across the country not to begin the payment of the new fees, stating that consultation with the Governing Councils with a view to reversing the fees hike, has already commenced.
The University of Maiduguri Governing, last December 2022, announced an upward review of students registration fees and charges citing “raising costs in teaching and learning materials, as well as laboratory consumables and reagents brought about by market forces.”
The Vice President of NANS, Sulaiman Muhammad Sarki said at a press conference in Maiduguri, Borno State capital that the fees hike in UNIMAID and other Universities in the country is a threat to the education of students in the North East region and Nigeria as a whole.
NANS VICE PRESIDENT, Suleiman Muhammad Sarki
Sarki stated that if urgent measures are not taken by relevant stakeholders to reverse the fee hike, many of the students may be forced to abandon school and may engage in unproductive and disruptive ventures.
According to him “At a critical time of hardship imposed on Nigerians by a sadistic government at the federal level, an increment of any amount on the registration charges will definitely lead to a huge number of school dropouts across the country. Which we tag as alarming threats that need an urgent response and intervention of all, especially in the northeast.
“We shall continue to express our displeasure on any registration charges increment by the universities, due to the fact that, it is not only capitalistic in a tone which thousands of returning students cannot afford but also an attempt to further deny Nigerian citizens access to education especially, in Northeast region, which in turn may undoubtedly affect the ongoing peacebuilding process in the zone,” NANS Vice President said.
NANS, therefore, warned that it will embark on continued protest should the Governor Council fail to reverse itself on the new registration fees.
“We call on all elder statesmen across the country, relevant stakeholders in the educational sector, traditional leaders, ulamas and priests to please intervene by prevailing on the Governing Council of all Nigerian Universities especially in the Northeast zone to rescind their decision as NANS shall not hesitate to stage a mother of all protest against this decision,” NANS Vice President said.
