Kaduna State University has reviewed its tuition fees from N24,000 and N26,000 to N150,000 and N500,000. Criticized and rejected by the students, the increment comes at a time when many are still recovering from the economic effects of Covid-19.

A press release by the Kaduna State Students’ Union stated that the majority of the students come from poor backgrounds and will not be able to cope with the high fees. The students’ union expressed fears about the effect of the increment, with the possibility of many students dropping out despite having scholarships.

The letter, addressed to Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, the Governor of the state, is yet to receive any response.

But in a statement to NAN, the university’s Public Relation Officer (PRO), Adamu Nuhu Bargo, explained that the decision for an upward review in fee was to raise money for the university which has an annual internally generated revenue of N765.9 million. he said the university management had met with students and that the specific fees for each course is yet to be announced.

Abdulrazak Shuaibu, a medical student and former President of the Kaduna State Students’ Union, confirmed the exact figures to which the increment had been made. He told NAN that students in Faculty of Arts, Management and Social Sciences were to pay N150,000 from N26,000, while students from the Faculty of Medicine were to pay N300,000 for indigene students and N500,000 for non-indigene students as against N24,000.

While the students have rejected the increment, the university management has given the excuse of creating  a “more conducive atmosphere of learning for staff and students” as part of the reasons for fee increment.