THE RISING COST OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

THE RISING COST OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA 

       Considering the rate at which youth of today are becoming nuisance to the society at large calls for concern as the major cause of this problem is the ever rising cost of education in our country Nigeria
         First and foremost, many youth which would have become a useful manpower for the advancement of the country could not achieve their aims as a result of the inability of their parents to pay their school fees.
          A case study is that of lagos state University-LASU-where school fees were increased from four thousand five hundred naira to forty-five thousand naira. Despite the hues and cries of both students and parents, the institution went ahead to implement the hike with an ultimatum for payment. This of course sent away many of the youth to the streets.
           Besides, the failure of many students to secure admission into the University of their choice resulted into majority of them going into the University of their choice resulting in majority of them going into part-time studies. This in essence led many institutions of higher learning to increase their school fees since the demand for admission became explosive. The explosion in the rush for admission was properly utilized hence parents had to pay through their nose.

         The various tertiary institutions in Nigeria today are going through various forms of renovation in terms of lecture halls and residential halls. It became obvious that majority of the tertiary institutions are doing this to find means of increasing their fee through the hostel accommodation which one thought at first was a way of making life for the students. What do we come to realize at the end? Increase of course! No sooner the renovated Halls of residence with high cost of rentage. This of course is not good enough for our tertiary education as most candidates and students in such institutions will find life meaningless when they can't get their desired goals.
         The above causes of ever rising cost of tertiary education would not be complete if the high cost of joint admissions and matriculation examination JAMB which is for only one day is not mentioned. Compare the cost of JAMB examination of only one day to that of the GCE that runs for a month or so, one would see that the rising cost of education. In the first place all tertiary institutions should build more hostels to accommodate students with moderate fees. This in no small way will help the students who live off-campus and on-campus alike
         There should also be a reduction in the form fees, scratch card and that of other expenses incurred by students. Government should fund the tertiary education to perform better. Government should sanction banks that charge higher rate for the scratch card. All these done. I believe the cost of education in our tertiary institutions will become low.