VAM News Update
THE Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has announced the reduction of school fees in state-owned tertiary institutions, slashing them by up to 50%.
Speaking in Kaduna on Monday, Sani said that the reduction of the tuition fees was in fulfilment of his election promises.
The governor also said that the reduction of the fees was to offer palliatives so as to reduce the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy, which has led to a high rise in cost of living in the country.
Sani said, “In response to the public outcry over the current fees being charged by tertiary institutions in Kaduna State and its effect on school enrolment and retention, I have approved the downward review of school fees for tertiary institutions in the state.
“This downward review of the extant fees regime aligns with our commitment to offer palliatives to cushion the effect of general rising cost of living in the polity, especially in the wake of recent petroleum subsidy removal in Nigeria.
“The welfare of the people is our topmost priority. Our administration shall continue to take all measures necessary to ensure access to free and qualitative education for every child in Kaduna State from primary to secondary school; expand access to higher education; enhance Teachers’ Welfare & Teaching Standards; improve School Infrastructure; build ICT competence in our students from basic education level; and intensify investments in Technical & Vocational Education.”
The institutions that had their fees reduced are as follows; Kaduna State University (KASU) – current fee: N150,000, reduced by 30% to N105,000; Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, current fee: N100,000, reduced by 50% to N50,000; College of Education, Gidan Waya, current fee: N75,000, reduced by 50% to N37,500; Shehu Idris College of Health Sciences & Technology, Makarfi – HND courses- current fee: N100,000 reduced by 30% to N70,000, ND Courses, current fee: N75,000 reduced by 30% to N52,000; and Kaduna State College of Nursing, current fee: N100,000 reduced by 30% to N70,000.
In June 2021, the administration of the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, had, despite public outrage, increased the fees of all tertiary institutions in the state.
The former state commissioner for Education, Shehu Makarfi, had said that the tuition rates were increased in order for the institutions to be able to perform better in information technology (IT) and research in order to fulfil demand on a worldwide scale.
