Fees Hike: Coalition Tasks Lawmakers On Scholarships For Students

Following the hike in the fees of universities and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria, the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All (CSACEFA) has called on members of the national and state assemblies to provide scholarships for students to enable them to pay their fees.

The coalition made the call at the end of its end of year annual party tagged: “Love Feast” organised by the Gombe State chapter of the coalition for its stakeholders.

In his address, the Gombe State coordinator of the coalition, Abubakar Abdullahi Hussain, said all institutions of learning, especially the federal ones in the state and country, had increased their registration fees heavily fearing that students whose parents are not financially buoyant might be forced to drop out from their schools while freshers would be discouraged from seeking admissions.

Hussain said although some state governments including that of Gombe State do pay scholarships yearly to students, it is not enough as it affects only those already in the institutions.

He said elected legislators both at the national and state assemblies should come up with schemes to grant scholarships to students to enable them register in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

Also, the national president of the Gombe State Students Association (GOSSA) Adamu Muhammad Hinna said the association had been receiving complaints from students that they could not afford to pay their school fees “because the increment was high.”