North-west varsity students protest over high fees

Category: News Published on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 05:00

Newly admitted students of North-west University, Kano, have protested over what they called high registration fees. Students of Science department are to pay about N75, 000 while those of Social and Management Sciences are to pay about N70, 000. Non indigenes on the other hand are to pay about N131, 000 for science and about N122, 000 for other faculties.

The students who visited media houses to express their grievances said the fees were unimaginable considering the current financial constraints. Some of the students that spoke with Daily Trust on condition of anonymity said charging such fees compared to the N17,000 paid in the Kano University of Science and Technology and N25, 000 in Bayero University was unacceptable.

“We were shocked when we saw the registration fees. Look at us, most of us are from poor families, where on earth are we going to source for that money. We thought government was trying to assist the less privileged by establishing the university, but from all indication, it is going to be another university for the children of the wealth-to-do,” said a student.

Reacting to the students’ protest, registrar of the university, Faruk Muhammad Yanganau, said the institution arrived at the amount after series of deliberations by the technical committee of the university.

He noted that though they have taken into cognizance the financial constraint faced by people, they could not agree on a lesser fee due to the type of facilities put in place and the enabling environment created for effective learning.

According to him, the university was established to cater for the teeming qualified students wishing to enroll into the university. He said in every university, the issue of funding is paramount, and that the institution would want to start on a solid foundation where funding would not be a bottle neck.

He therefore urged philanthropists to assist the students so that they can register and continue with their education, saying government alone cannot do it.