Nigerian Government Increases Fees for Its Unity Colleges’ Students
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Despite pressure from lawmakers to the contrary, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has allowed a hike in school fees for Federal Government Colleges (FGCs), otherwise known as Federal Unity Colleges, from ₦45,000 to ₦100,000, at a time Nigerians were yet to recover from increments in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol.
The increment in fees for students in Unity Schools was contained in a directive from the Office of the Director of Senior Secondary Education Department of the Federal Ministry of Education.
The directive with reference number ADF/120/DSSE/I, was dated May 25, 2023 and addressed to all principals of Federal Unity Colleges.
According to the circular entitled “Approved fees/ charges for Federal Unity Colleges (1st Term) for new students,” signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, new students are expected to part with ₦100,000 instead of the previous ₦45,000. 
The latest fees/charge increment will affect virtually all aspects and activities of the school, including boarding fees, uniforms, textbooks, deposit, exercise books, prospectus, caution fees, ID cards, stationery, clubs and societies, sports, extra lesson, insurance, among others.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives had on July 11, urged the Federal Government to reverse the increment of school fees in all federal government-owned secondary schools.
The resolution followed a motion moved by Saidu Abdullahi (APC, Niger) and Kama Nkemkanma (LP, Ebonyi).
Nkemkanma had while moving the motion said the increment was causing untold hardship for students.
Recall that in May, President Tinubu announced the removal of subsidy on petrol during his inauguration, leading to the increment of the pump price of the commodity from N193 to N540 and later in July, the pump price of the product jumped to N617 and N700 per liter in most parts of the country.
