By Dapo Akinrefon

A socio-political movement, The Reformers, has condemned what it described as arbitrary and unconscionable hike in fees by public universities across the federation, warning that the trend could force thousands of indigent students out of school.

The group, comprising middle-class elites, professionals and academics, which recently declared support for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has been turned into an administrative excuse for universities to increase tuition, accommodation and other charges.

It called on the Federal Government to urgently review the policy through monitoring and evaluation to avoid what it termed policy somersault.

In a statement by its Spokesperson, Mr Muhammed Emiabata, on behalf of the Reformers Coordinating Council, the group said rather than democratising access to higher education, the loan scheme is becoming an albatross for students and parents.

Emiabata said: “The introduction of NELFUND has tragically mutated into an administrative excuse for public universities to implement massive, unconscionable tuition fee hikes, with skyrocketing accommodation and other academic facility charges and the government seem to have lost control.”

The Reformers alleged that hundreds of thousands of indigent students are unable to access the loan due to systemic errors and prolonged institutional verification delays.

It further accused some public universities of engaging in extortion and administrative blackmail by blocking students from accommodation and academic activities until NELFUND credits their accounts.

“This is a severe breach of administrative trust. It forces students from less affluent backgrounds to carry the burden of government inefficiency,” the group stated.

The movement warned that if the Federal Government fails to intervene immediately, the situation could trigger widespread dropouts and instability in the education system.

“Many parents turned their back on private institutions because of affordability, but NELFUND policy has brought both private and public institutions almost at par. We cannot afford to run our critical human capital development through ‘witchcraft economics’, a predatory policy trap where government inflates the underlying cost of education with one hand and offers a lifetime of debt with the other,” it said.

According to the Reformers, “although Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the ADC has promised to review the policy and mitigate this confusion and systemic set back if elected, parents are already suffocating and students are no longer concentrating, they have embraced what they call ‘hustle’ and no longer committed to academics.”

It urged the ADC campaign directorate to release the implementation timelines of its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s proposed Free, Compulsory Nationwide Basic Education framework and plans to increase statutory funding for universities to reduce dependence on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Nigerians must be assured that help is on the way.

“Nigerians need to have something concrete to look forward to, a blueprint that restores dignity, affordability and structural continuity to Nigerian higher education.

“The country’s future cannot be built on a foundation of student debt and locked gates. The current administrative confusion must end,” the statement added.