Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Osun State, on Monday, demanded the Federal Government reversal of their tuition fee hike.

The President and General Secretary of the institution’s Students’ Union, Abbas Ojo, and Akinboni Sunday, made this demand in a statement.

“Today, we are here to address the pressing issue of sudden fee hikes and the alarming state of education funding in Nigeria. Education is the cornerstone of development and progress for any nation. So, it’s sad that in a country as great as ours, education is becoming a choice only the rich can make. The statement revealed.

“The current situation in Nigeria paints a grim picture, with chronically low funding for education having severe repercussions on our society. Inadequate funding has limited access to quality education, hinders academic resources, and already created many financial burdens for students and their families.” the statement partly read. 

“We’ve also written to all respective banks to halt the acceptance of fee payments from any student until a better resolution has been achieved. As much as we don’t want to, we are currently running out of options and might have to shut down all activities on campus and progressively on all campuses throughout the country if the school authorities remain silent on the issue,” the union added. 

The students further called on the Federal Government to take decisive action by providing viable solutions to tackle the increment by increasing the budget allocation for education and ensure that schools are well-equipped, staffed, and capable of providing quality education.

“Implement policies that address the barriers to education, such as ensuring accessibility to schools for students by guiding against arbitrary increment. Enhance investment in lecturer training and professional development programs to improve the quality of instruction. Establish scholarship and financial aid programs to alleviate the burden on students and families,” the union added.