Education stakeholders have urged the National Universities Commission (NUC) to reconsider its recent upward review of application fees for establishing private universities, warning that it could undermine mass literacy in Nigeria.
The NUC recently increased the fee for purchasing application forms for private universities from ₦1 million to ₦5 million and raised the processing fee from ₦5 million to ₦25 million. The Commission’s Executive Secretary, Abdullahi Ribadu, said the hike was aimed at improving university coordination and better positioning new institutions to meet 21st-century challenges.
Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Emeritus Archbishop of Abuja, criticized the increase, warning that it could restrict university access to only wealthy Nigerians.
“Where do they expect the universities to get this money from?” Onaiyekan asked. “This will force private universities to increase fees, making it harder for struggling students to afford education.”
Onaiyekan also called for a separate regulatory body for private universities, arguing that the NUC was originally designed to oversee public institutions.
“NUC’s approach to private universities treats them like profit-making ventures, which they are not,” he said.
Prof. Noah Yusuf, Vice-Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, said the increase could curb the proliferation of poorly managed universities but warned that it might stifle access to higher education.
“There are private universities that started but couldn’t continue,” Yusuf said. “NUC may have increased the fees to ensure that only serious investors establish universities—but it could also reduce access to education.”
Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, described the increase as a “thunderbolt,” arguing that it would hinder mass literacy growth.
“Tertiary education in Nigeria is already undersubscribed,” Ozumba said. “We should focus on strengthening public universities instead of creating barriers for private institutions.”
Stakeholders warned that the fee hike could push more students toward already overburdened public universities, further straining Nigeria’s education system.
