The Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Shehu Makarfi, on Thursday confirmed that the state has increased tuition fees across all state-owned tertiary institutions.

The institutions are Kaduna State University; Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria; Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya; Shehu Idris College of Health Sciences, Makarfi; and Kaduna State College of Nursing and Midwifery.

Makarfi implored the citizens of the state to show support and pray for the state so that it will one day have the resources which will enable citizens go to school for free, but that in the current circumstance the state couldn’t afford to do that.

FIJ had earlier reported a proposed upward review of tuition fees by the Kaduna State University. The astronomic increment means indigenous students from the Faculties of Education, Arts and Social and Management Sciences will now pay N150,000 as compared to N26,150, while non-indigenes who were paying N36,150 would pay N200,000 as new tuition fees. Indigenous students from the Faculty of Science had their fees reviewed from N26,150 to N170,000, while non-indigene students paid N200,000 as compared to N36,150 they used to pay. Pharmacy students who used to pay N26,150 were asked to start paying N250,000, while non-indigene students are to pay N300,000.

READ ALSO: Kaduna State University Hikes Tuition Fees From N26,000 to N500,000 for Non-Indigenes

Makarfi said: “But we are hoping the schools will be able to provide quality education to the students so that when they graduate they will be useful to the society. Kaduna State University tuition fee will charge N150,000 at the minimum depending on the course, whether it is in medicine, arts, but this will be per session and no other charges will come with it.

“For other tertiary institutions under Kaduna State that provide national diplomas the tuition will be N75,000 while higher national diploma-offering will be N100,000 the same as the School of Health Technology. College of Education will pay N75,000.”

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The Kaduna State University had put out a press statement asking the public to ignore the figures going round on social media. However the confirmation by the commissioner for education has shown that students would have to deal with the new reality.

The indigenous students in the faculty of medicine who used to pay N26,150 will start paying N300,000, while the non-indigenous students who used to pay N36,150 will pay N500,000.

The fee increment comes at a time when the Nigerian economy is recovering from Covid-19 lockdown measures and a spate of kidnappings across schools in Kaduna State.