The beauty of every budding democratic process is in the extent of freedom of citizens to voice out, most vehemently, against governmental policies that appear to be distasteful and anti people. The Nigeria’s academic space serves as an ample litmus test. In recent times the country’s tertiary institutions have wit…nessed the blazing fierceness of fearless youths who can only be described as bulls pushed to the walls by the singular act of enacting insensitive academic policies by host governments.
In a clear statement, these youths take to street protest, chanting ‘we no go gree o, we no go gree’. These protests are carried out in such an organized way that it would attract the attention of policy makers and consequently buy their ‘sympathies’ for a possible review or better still reversal of the on-motion policy.
Many of these policies take the forms of incremental hike in tuition and admission acceptance fees. Most indicted, of course, are the state owned universities and polytechnics alike. By most, I do not intend to exonerate the federal institutions. Of course, they are all collaborators in this wanton usurping of the unsuspecting academic juveniles and the consequent embrace of the leapfrog largesse.
The resultant effects are the breakdown of general sanity in and around the schools, protests- sometimes harmless but many times with devastating effects, strike actions, and ultimately multiple impending losses. First, it was a wild and loud protest coordinated by the Student Union Government of Lagos State University, followed by Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), then the University of Port Harcourt and a number of others in the list.
For OAU, the management had increased the fees payable by the newly admitted students from #37,150 and #42,150 to #82,400, #92,700, #95,700 depending on the faculty. These new charges include a #20, 000 acceptance fees.
While the charges for the returning students of the institution were also hiked from #5, 300, #7,800, #10,300 and N12, 800 per session to #19,700, #30,700 and #33,700 for the different faculties respectively.
For Lagos State University, the hike is better described as unthinkable with an increment of over 600%. The students therefore engaged in a protest demanding for a revert to status quo. The fees had earlier been increased from an average of N25, 000 to about N350, 000.
University of Port Harcourt followed suit increasing its fee to N41, 000 as against N29, 500.
This is most surprising considering the fact that at a time in this country, school fees were paid in three digits and even less- say #500, #200. Yes! It’s true. Shockingly too, this good news-inversed, did not happen in the days of our ancestors but right in the full glare and stare of this conscious generation.
Gradually, yet steadily, it metamorphosed into a hydra headed monster that is fast eating down the zeal and capacity of everyone seeking to acquire a level of education beyond college.
This development, however is bound to escalate further with other higher institutions borrowing a leaf from their counterparts. The President of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Nasir Issa Fagge said recently,
´´what is happening is a product of education policies allegedly imposed on Nigeria by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. This is why we have vehemently rejected the idea especially the so called introduction of the Nigerian University System Innovation Project. To us, this is a ploy aimed at turning the universities into commercial ventures.´´
As to the possible influence of this insensitive connival by the political class and various school administrators, one can only posit that detachment from the people and their suffering is a prime suspect in this regard.
Yes, if political office holders and administrators are acquainted with the level of hardship of the common man, perhaps they would be more reasonable in the way they throw around figures.
In a country where the citizens are said to live on below one dollar per day, it could have only been wise to work assiduously to ensure that the citizenry transits from the quagmire of financial mockery and incapacitation.
This action will apparently perk up the people and make them less hostile to the political class greedy quest for more.
Furthermore, there also arises the question of the justification for these unnecessary increments when in all the schools there are other ventures that generate huge income that no one often talks about? Call it IGR. What about the involvement of wealthy individuals and corporate organizations that, like in other countries, offer scholarships to cushion the effect of high cost of education.
Below is a face-glance of what is obtainable in some of our present day higher institutions in Nigeria (all in naira):
Olabisi Onabanjo University:Freshers: #110,000 TO #250,000 (STAYLITE- #42,000 UPWARD)
University of Benin: Freshers- #45,000 (Staylites Science-#14,000, Staylite Art-#12,000)
University of Calabar: #28,000
Federal University of Technology Owerri: #48,300 TO #49,000
Enugu State University of Technology: Indigene and Non-Indigene, 100L, 200L -#122,250
(300L-#102,000, 400L-#67,000 respectively)
Obafemi Awolowo University #37,150 and #42,150 to #82,400, #92,700, #95,700 depending on the faculty.
Federal University of Technology Minna: Freshers-#37,000, (Returning Students-#20,000)
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology: Indigenes-65,000, Non Indigenes-#72,500 (Staylite-300L Upward= #40,000 to #50,000)
Federal Polytechnic, Oko #22,000 and #28,000 respectively.
University of Nigeria Nsukka=#50,000
Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro=#59,530
Abia State Polytechnic: #56,550 and #61,000, (Depending on the department)
Plateau State University: Indigenes-#50,000, Non indigenes- #100, 000
Abia State University #150,000
Imo State University: Indigenes- *** Non indigenes- #50,000
( from unconfirmed source)
Let us juxtapose these figures with Mr. Francis Okon’s (not real name)#18,000 monthly minimum wage. A father of four, two in secondary school, one in the university and the other about to take common entrance examination.
With a barrage of bills to sort from NEPA, to Water, to rent, to refuse, and a host of others and not forgetting a budget for the wife. Even with my limited knowledge of arithmetic, I still know that this 1+1 cannot amount to 2.
Of a truth, if Nigeria must witness an unhindered development, education is one sector that must gain some boost and support from all and sundry. In the history of developed nations of the world is traceable great commitment in ensuring that their citizens received the best of education.
The people must be encouraged to embrace education.
Anything that bridges education stops development. Ignorance in part or in whole is a hindrance to national progress and diminishes the chance of individuals reaching their full potentials.
I have chosen to lean towards tertiary institutions, not with the intention of relegating primary and secondary education. In many states, education is free up to the college level. This is commendable. The choking difference is in the private institutions, which as you are aware are individual business endeavours.
As ‘companies’ duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), they would put in their front burner the quest to make profit, pay tax and other bills and most importantly keep the ‘company’ afloat.
This will as a matter of reason deter the government from wading in to regulate their operations. The consequent impart is the extreme high fees and charges from them.
However, the challenge in all of these is being able to reconcile high fees with quality. Employers of labour over the years have continued to raise concern over the quality of graduates Nigerian schools churn out annually. High fees do not automatically mean that the right tutors will be employed.
It does not also mean that the quality of educational materials and learning aids will receive a boost.
Today, larger percentage of our graduates leave the ivory towers without any experience whatsoever. Part of the reasons for going to school is to be equipped so as to pursue a career and escape the liability-zone. But disappointedly, many people have left the schools with larger baggage of liability.
How do you justify a Mass Communication graduate who for four years in the university never saw what a studio looked like not to talk of using the equipment. All he heard was the definition of a console, the functions of a microphone, camera movements, and how to plan a newspaper page- all on the white board. What about the one that flaunts a Computer Science certificate with the high sounding appellation ‘Computer Scientist’ who never saw what a computer looks like through his stay in school? Pathetic!
Regrettably pathetic!
But this is exactly the situation in our institutions.
I however submit that if indeed we must make progress in this country that Dora-Nigeria called a great nation, then we must as a matter of necessity take education seriously. Government must wade in to salvage this all important sector from collapse.
First, education must be made attractive to everyone. The policies that fan constant increment in cost of schooling must be reviewed. The different state governments also should make education a priority and perhaps offer free education up to the university level. To develop any nation, the development of human capital through the provision a qualitative education should be second to none.
thinkerstots 