NELFUND Kicks as LAUTECH, Edo, Ekiti varsities hike tuition fees up to 500%

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has expressed deep concern over what it described as “profit-driven” tuition increases by some Nigerian universities and polytechnics, warning that the hikes could threaten the sustainability of the student loan scheme.

Documents obtained by The Guardian from NELFUND’s internal risk management unit reveal that tuition and institutional charges in several schools — including Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso; University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo; Edo State University; Ekiti State University (EKSU); and University of Ilesha — have risen by between 20 and 521 per cent in the past few months.

According to the report, the increases were most severe in programmes like Medicine, Nursing, and Law, placing additional strain on students and the Fund’s operations. For instance, LAUTECH’s Medicine and Surgery tuition soared from ₦126,000 to ₦782,000 — a staggering 521 per cent jump — while Nursing and Biomedical courses rose by over 410 per cent.

At UNIMED, tuition for Nursing rose by 149 per cent, from ₦900,000 to ₦2.245 million, while Medicine increased by 70 per cent, reaching ₦2.245 million. Similarly, Edo State University raised its Medicine and Surgery fee by ₦1 million, now standing at ₦4.25 million, meaning a student could graduate with debts exceeding ₦51 million.

Ekiti State University raised its Medicine fees by 42 per cent, and the University of Ilesha increased Nursing from ₦825,000 to ₦1.276 million, while Law rose by 20 per cent to ₦1.526 million. The trend was not limited to universities: Kogi State Polytechnic reportedly hiked charges by over 1,000 per cent, while Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), and Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), also raised institutional fees by as much as 120 per cent.

A senior official of NELFUND confirmed that the agency may consider suspending loan disbursements to defaulting institutions pending a comprehensive review. Recommendations in the leaked report include setting national tuition benchmarks and allowing students to report unfair charges anonymously.

As of September 26, NELFUND had disbursed over ₦107.6 billion to 581,878 students across Nigeria, with institutional fees accounting for ₦61.3 billion and upkeep allowances taking ₦46.3 billion.

Parents and student groups have reacted angrily to the new hikes, accusing tertiary institutions of exploiting the student loan scheme. A parent, Alabi Ademola, described the move as “a corrupt tendency” that undermines President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to assist indigent students.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has also demanded urgent intervention from the Federal Ministry of Education, insisting that institutions should not “hide under the loan scheme to exploit students.”

Meanwhile, officials of some of the named institutions defended the increases, citing rising operational costs. The University of Ilesha’s spokesperson, Babatunde Fanawopo, said the increments were necessary to sustain academic quality, while FUNAAB’s public relations officer, Olasunkanmi Olajide, said the new fees merely “reflect current market realities.”

The Federal Ministry of Education, however, explained that its power to act may be limited since education is under the concurrent legislative list. The ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, told The Guardian that the federal government’s priority remains ensuring every child’s access to education, though regulation of fees largely rests with state authorities.