FIJ
Tuition at Nigerian unity schools is still free, according to a breakdown of the new N100,000 school fee for federal unity colleges (FUC) across the country.
The N100,000 covers boarding fee, uniform fee, charges for textbooks and exercise books, a prospectus, caution and sports fees, among other things.
Boarding fee (N30,000), uniforms (N25,000) and a N15,000 text book deposit are the most expensive costs.
Students will also pay N5,000 each for insurance and exercise books, according to the approved.
Many have criticised the increase since it came to light on Friday that federal unity colleges (FUC) across the nation would charge N100,000 for the upcoming academic session instead of the current N45,000, stating that this would only prevent underprivileged people from accessing basic education and plunge them deeper into multidimensional poverty.
The decision to raise the costs also runs counter to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pledge to invest in education and make it accessible to all citizens of the nation.
Recall that the president, in a meeting with members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on June 14, promised to increase the budget for education, saying, “If we all believe that education is the greatest weapon against poverty, then we have to invest in it.
”Poverty should not prevent anybody, any child, including the daughter or son of a wood seller, bole (roasted plantain) seller or yam seller from attaining their highest standard of education, to eliminate poverty.
”If you eliminate poverty from one family, you can carry the rest of the weight. ”
He made this promise two days after signing the Students Loan Act into law, which he said would help pay for the tuition of students from low-income families, while simultaneously implying that the federal government would no longer fund higher education.
