The immediate past Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, has called for a major increase in tuition fees at Nigerian public universities, arguing that institutions may need to charge at least ₦1 million per student annually to achieve greater financial sustainability.
Olatunji-Bello made the remarks in an interview while reflecting on her five-year tenure as LASU Vice-Chancellor, which ended on Saturday.
According to her, the current funding structure of public universities is putting significant pressure on institutions, particularly as universities face rising salary, infrastructure and operational costs.
LASU Payroll Exceeds ₦1 Billion Monthly
The former LASU Vice-Chancellor said the university's monthly payroll currently exceeds ₦1 billion, while its internally generated revenue of about ₦13 billion is not enough to cover staff salaries.
She argued that increasing internally generated revenue alone would not necessarily make a university financially self-sustaining if its expenditure continues to rise.
Olatunji-Bello said universities would need to explore innovative ways of generating additional income while also reconsidering their tuition structure.
She said institutions seeking financial sustainability may have to increase their fees substantially.
Former LASU VC Says Universities Need More Funding
Olatunji-Bello argued that the cost of providing quality university education has increased considerably.
She compared the fees charged by some private secondary schools with the relatively low tuition paid by students in some public universities.
According to her, some secondary schools charge more than ₦1 million per term, while some public universities still operate with annual fees around ₦100,000.
She therefore argued that universities seeking greater financial independence may need to charge tuition of at least ₦1 million per student.
However, the proposal is her position on university financing and does not represent a nationwide policy or an announced tuition fee by the Federal Government.
"Good Quality Education Needs Money"
The former Vice-Chancellor also stressed the importance of adequate funding for maintaining educational standards.
She argued that providing quality education requires sufficient resources for lecturers, infrastructure, laboratories, research, technology and other university services.
She consequently urged parents to place greater priority on investing in their children's education.
Education Minister Calls For Funding Diversification
The comments came shortly after the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, urged public universities to explore additional sources of funding.
The minister has argued that government resources alone cannot indefinitely meet all the financial needs of Nigeria's tertiary institutions.
The issue of university funding has remained a major subject of discussion as institutions face rising operational costs and demands for improved salaries, infrastructure and research facilities.
What A ₦1 Million Tuition Proposal Could Mean For Students
If public universities were to adopt tuition levels of ₦1 million or more, students and families would face significantly higher direct education costs.
However, the impact would depend on how individual universities structure their fees and whether governments introduce scholarships, bursaries, student loans or other forms of financial assistance.
For now, the ₦1 million figure remains a proposal attributed to the former LASU Vice-Chancellor and should not be interpreted as a new national tuition fee for Nigerian public universities.
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