By Gabriel Ameh
The House of Representatives has called for action to address rising tuition fees and other charges in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions, raising concerns about the impact on students from low-income families.
The resolution followed a motion moved by Hon. Ifeoluwa Babajide Ehindero, who represents Akoko North-East/Akoko North-West Federal Constituency, during plenary on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
The motion highlighted reports of fee increases exceeding 100 per cent in some public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, warning that the rising cost of education could prevent many students from accessing or completing their studies.
Ehindero argued that the situation required urgent intervention to ensure that financial difficulties did not deny qualified Nigerians the opportunity to pursue higher education.
Reps Raise Concerns Over Education Costs
While presenting the motion, Ehindero referenced Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which directs government policy towards providing equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.
He also highlighted the role of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), established to provide interest-free loans to eligible students and reduce the financial barriers to tertiary education.
According to the lawmaker, substantial increases in institutional charges could weaken the effectiveness of student financing programmes if the cost of education continues to rise beyond what students and their families can afford.
“Access to higher education should not become increasingly difficult for Nigerian students because of sudden and substantial increases in institutional charges,” Ehindero said.
He acknowledged the financial pressures facing tertiary institutions but stressed the need to balance their operational requirements with the financial circumstances of ordinary Nigerian families.
The lawmaker also called for greater consultation, transparency and a comprehensive review of institutional fee structures to reflect prevailing economic realities.
NELFUND Loans and Rising Fees
Ehindero warned that sharp increases in tuition and other charges could undermine efforts to widen access to higher education, particularly where the cost of attendance rises significantly.
He maintained that student financing initiatives such as NELFUND should help students overcome financial barriers rather than leave them struggling with escalating education costs.
The lawmaker stressed that protecting access to higher education required cooperation among the Federal Government, regulatory agencies, institutional managements and other relevant stakeholders.
He clarified that his position was not intended to disregard the funding needs of public tertiary institutions but to ensure that fee policies remained transparent, justified and sensitive to students’ economic realities.
House Seeks Suspension of Fee Increases
Following consideration of the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to increase financial support to public tertiary institutions to reduce their dependence on student charges as a source of internally generated revenue.
The lawmakers also urged the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to engage with the management of public tertiary institutions to pursue the suspension of fee increases and undertake a comprehensive review of tuition structures.
The review, according to the resolution, should take prevailing economic conditions into account.
In addition, the House mandated the relevant 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 motion was subsequently referred to the relevant House committees for further legislative action.
The proposed investigation is expected to examine the reasons behind the reported increases and the implications for students’ access to affordable higher education.
For students and families already struggling with the cost of living, the issue highlights the growing debate over how Nigeria can adequately fund its public tertiary institutions without making higher education increasingly unaffordable.
