By Amaka Abayomi, Ikenna Asomba & Laju Arenyeka
Following the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government which subsequently led to an increase in the pump price of fuel, parents and students of primary, secondary and higher institutions have continued to decry the rising cost of stationeries, transportation, accommodation, feeding, among others in their bid to acquire knowledge.

In its January report, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) put Nigeria’s January headline inflation at 12.6 per cent, up by 230bps from10.3 per cent in December 2011.

Headline inflation

In the same vein, Food Inflation rose to 13.1 per cent year-on-year, from 11.0 per cent in December 2011. The report also indicates that core inflation (measured by All Items Less Farm Produce Index) rose to 12.7 per cent, versus 10.8 per cent in the previous month. Nonetheless, it is expected that the headline inflation will remain in double digits through 2012, fuelled by consistently unfavourable supply-push factors.

Lamenting the increase in the cost of stationeries and transport to school, some parent and students who spoke to Vanguard Learning said such expenses are drilling big holes in their pockets.

Agreeing that the increase in fuel price affects everything, the principal of Caleb International College, Mrs. Julie Falodun, urged school administrators to put themselves in parents’ shoes.

“I agree that the prices of things have gone up because as a school, we go to market and price of diesel to run generators have gone up, price of food stuff for feeding the students have equally gone up, but we can’t just increase school fees and school bus fees just like that because we are considerate of the financial cost on the parents.”

For a Port Harcourt-based mother of two, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the increase in fuel price has affected everything; most notable is the increase in school fees and fares for school bus services.

“In as much as there was no increase in school fees because we had paid before the partial subsidy removal, but we are expecting an increase in next term’s school fees. Also, the school bus fare was increased from N10,000 to N16,000 per child and this is killing us. Even the cost of the exercise and text books the school provides has increased and we have no choice but buy from the school.”

Another mother whose kids use public transport to get to school decried the high cost of transport fare which she says is taking a toll on other aspects of the family.

“My children were paying N140 to and from school at Ojota but with the increase in fuel price, the transport fare to and from Ajegunle to Ojota is over N200. This is affecting other household expenses as we have to cut down on some things to pay their transport fare.”

Even students in institutions of higher learning are not left out as their resumption after ASUU strike coincided with the hike in fuel price from N65 to N97 per litre. Speaking to Vanguard Learning on the cost implication of the hike on life on campuses, students agree that the most affected are transport, photocopying, feeding and handouts/textbooks, which even led to protests by students in various schools

Sule Babajide, a 400-level student at LASU, used to spend N150 on transportation but now spends about N350 daily. For Onyeka Ewelike, 300-level Mass Comm student, “I shuttle from Festac to my campus at Ojuelegba and I used to spend N500 on transportation, but now pay as high as between N700 and N800 daily. Spending such an amount of money on daily basis amounts to a huge sum in a week.

“When I sought a hostel around Ojuelegba, to lessen the cost of transportation, I was told by the agent that house rent is now N5,000 per month.”

Alisu Abdulkadri, a student of Quantity Surveying Department, FUT Minna, “the increase in transport fares especially, is very bad and many students have to hustle more to pay for their transportation; this will really tell on them when they start missing lectures and tests all in the name of not having money.”

Though some schools didn’t increase their school fees this term because most demand that the fees be paid before the beginning of the next term, parents of students in primary and secondary schools should brace themselves for increase in school fees and other sundries.