The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has expressed deep concern over the sharp increase in tuition and institutional charges by several tertiary institutions across the country, describing the hikes—ranging between 20 and 521 per cent—as exploitative and detrimental to the purpose of the student loan scheme.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to a report from NELFUND’s internal risk management unit, titled “Framework to Mitigate the Impact of Increased Institutional Charges on the Fund’s Operations,” the hikes in tuition—particularly in professional programmes such as Medicine, Nursing, and Law—have placed an unbearable financial strain on students while threatening the sustainability of the Fund’s operations.
The affected institutions include the University of Ilesha (Osun), Ekiti State University, University of Medical Sciences (Ondo), Edo State University, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Oyo, and David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Ebonyi.
Massive Fee Hikes Across Institutions
The report detailed several drastic fee increases. At the University of Ilesha, Nursing fees rose by 55 per cent from ₦825,000 to ₦1.276 million, while Law fees climbed by 20 per cent to ₦1.526 million.
Ekiti State University hiked Medicine and Surgery fees by 42 per cent—from ₦797,000 to ₦1.132 million—while Edo State University raised the same programme by ₦1 million to ₦4.25 million, representing a 31 per cent increase.
At the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nursing fees surged by 149 per cent to ₦2.245 million; Community Health rose by 40 per cent to ₦1.683 million, while Medicine and Surgery jumped by 70 per cent to ₦2.245 million.
Similarly, LAUTECH implemented one of the steepest hikes, raising Medicine and Surgery tuition from ₦126,000 to ₦782,000—a 521 per cent increase—while Biomedical and Nursing fees rose by over 400 per cent.
At DUFUHS, Ebonyi, Medicine and Surgery fees went up by 46 per cent, from ₦1.03 million to ₦1.5 million.
The report noted that a medical student at Edo State University studying from 100 to 600 level could graduate with a cumulative debt burden exceeding ₦51 million.
NELFUND May Suspend Loans to Erring Institutions
To cushion the impact of these hikes, NELFUND’s risk unit proposed several short- and long-term measures, including pausing disbursements to schools that raised fees excessively, capping loans for affected institutions, and suspending loan access where fee increments exceed 100 per cent until further review.
It also recommended collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education to establish national tuition guidelines, publish fee thresholds, and create channels for students to report unfair practices anonymously.
As of September 26, the Fund had disbursed ₦107.6 billion to 581,878 students nationwide, with ₦61.3 billion allocated for institutional fees and ₦46.3 billion for upkeep allowances.
Parents, Students, and Activists Condemn Hikes
Parents and education stakeholders have condemned the fee increases, warning that they undermine President Bola Tinubu’s student loan initiative.
A parent, Alabi Ademola, described the development as “unfortunate and corrupt,” urging both federal and state governments to intervene.
“President Tinubu’s government is trying to help students from poor backgrounds fulfil their educational dreams, but those who should assist in achieving it are frustrating the programme,” Ademola said.
Education analysts have also cautioned that unregulated tuition hikes could defeat the purpose of the student loan scheme.
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) described the policy as a “debt trap” that risks plunging students into long-term financial hardship.
“Loans are not relief—they are debt traps,” said ERC National Mobilisation Officer, Michael Adaramoye. “This policy is worsening the crisis in higher education. Many administrators now justify fee hikes because students can supposedly access loans, but not all can.”
Adaramoye accused the government of commercialising education and abandoning its duty to fund learning, calling for the immediate reversal of all increases since the loan scheme began.
“A serious government will not turn its young population into debtors. Public education should be properly funded and democratically managed,” he added, urging that the loan scheme be replaced with direct grants to indigent students.
NANS Demands Sanctions and Action
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also called for urgent action from the Federal Ministry of Education, including restrictions on student loan access for erring institutions.
NANS spokesperson Adeyemi Ajasa said the association had directed its state and zonal branches to address the issue locally before the national body steps in.
“Some institutions, like FUOYE, are increasing fees for a second time in a year,” Ajasa said. “They assume students can pay because of the loan, but not everyone applied—and those who did will still repay it.”
He described the hikes as unjustifiable, adding that claims of inflation and fuel price increases no longer hold water.
Institutions, Government Defend Fee Increases
Universities have, however, defended their actions, attributing the increments to economic realities.
The Senior Assistant Registrar of the University of Ilesha, Babatunde Fanawopo, said the institution’s fees reflect “the cost of maintaining quality education.”
“Nothing good comes cheap,” he said, noting that programmes in Education and Agriculture remain tuition-free.
Similarly, the Acting Head of Public Relations at FUNAAB, Olasunkanmi Olajide, said charges were adjusted “in line with current economic realities.”
Officials at other affected schools, including UNIMED, DUFUHS, Edo State University, and Kogi State Polytechnic, declined or failed to comment.
The Federal Ministry of Education, through its Director of Press, Folasade Boriowo, said the government’s powers are limited since education falls under the concurrent legislative list.
“Education is on the concurrent list, and the interest of the Federal Government is that every child has access to education,” Boriowo said.
