The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has said it will intervene in the hike in tuition fees by some tertiary institutions in the South-West geopolitical zone.
This was contained in the New Year message by the South-West Zonal Coordinator of the body, Comrade Kappo Samuel Olawale, in Lagos on Friday. The body pledged a proactive intervention in the matter.
Recently, the management of the Lagos State University, LASU, announced a hike in the tuition fees to be paid by new intakes of the institution. It was increased from N25,000 to N67, 048 for the new intakes, while 200 level students and above would pay the old rate of N25,000 until they graduate.
Olawale said, “I am confident that in 2021, we will be able to present a more radical interference of reform in the payable tuition of various institutions under the aegis of our leadership and we shall sail the struggle through the brinks of reduction of tuitions which are sanely contradictory.”
Listing other programmes the student body would like to pursue during the year, Olawale said inter-tertiary institutions debate competition would also be organised. He also gave the assurance that victimised students would have a shoulder to lean on in NANS.
“We are poised to build on the foundation we have laid on advocacy, propagation of a healthy learning environment and qualitative representation of our constituents for a sturdy, viable and more prosperous administrative future.
“Very importantly, I acknowledge and salute the commitment of comrades, stakeholders and students who gave us the mandate of this great but very tasking mission of advocating for an improved educational system that prioritizes the interest of the students. Together with my executives, we are grateful for this very rare privilege.
“While we look to create new opportunities in our conventional goals and the conduction of Zonal election which will pave way for new blood in the system in 2021, we must also realise in maximum our manifesto promises of a new NANS through nimble propagation of student-friendly policies across all states of Southwest, Nigeria in the quest to deliver a transcendental qualitative education to children of the poor and the rich in our confines. These, we shall achieve before we pass the baton.”
